Tainted Angel
by Lillith Gray
Summary: In a world where the angels are nearly extinct and the Nephilim have taken over heaven, a synthetic angel named "Mayu" is created by the enigmatic figure Mother Matilde. What will happen when Mayu is handed over to Hell and forced to marry one of the five demon princes in exchange for her people's peace?
1. Caged Baby Dragon

_(Author's Notes)_

_Hi guys! I'm here with a new story!_

_First off, I feel I have to warn you all that this story may be upped to an M rating in the coming chapters, for gore. I also feel I should say that, at its core, this is a reverse harem style fic, but it will also have a lot of horror elements, yay! But anyways, this story is a major experiment for me, so we'll see how it goes. But don't worry, I still fully plan to finish "I'm Your Devil!". I just needed a break from it since I'm really stuck on the latest chapter. Not entirely sure how far I'll get on this one, but if you guys like it I may continue it passed the next few chapters. ;)_

_So, the female protagonist for this story is Mayu again. I actually considered a few different options but she just seemed to fit, haha. The boys for this one will be Kaito, Yuma, Len, Luki, and Mikuo! Might switch Len out for Oliver, but we'll see.  
_

_Anyways, hope you enjoy!_

* * *

The rustle of the white cotton dress against her skin, the steady rhythm of light breaths, and the feeling of the leathery pages betwixt her fingers as her eyes scanned and memorized each word. These were all things that Mayu knew very well, and these were all things that she was very familiar with, and yet, somehow, it always seemed like she knew so very little. So, she read more to quench her thirst. In fact, that's all she did — all day, every day, she read. For a hundred years she had read like this, her attention never fading as she turned page after page, reading the same books over and over again. _They were all she had._

She shifted slightly on her white arm chair, feeling thoughtful as she turned another page. Come to think of it, she wondered pointedly, she had never seen her reflection before. This was because no mirrors were available to her here — they were unnecessary, she supposed. However, Mayu assumed that like most angels, she was at least moderately beautiful and tall. She had never heard her own voice, either, though. Thinking about it made her slightly weary, and she couldn't help scratching idly at the ribbon tied around the lower portion of her face, wishing she could untie the bow and spit out her gag. She knew, however, that this was not only ill advised, but completely impossible, as there were certain preventative measures taken. She had learned that the hard way when she was younger. And besides that, _Mother Matilde knows best_.

Her books, after all, had taught her many things about Mother Matilde and her Nephilim brethren. According to her beloved books, Mother Matilde had united the Nephilim children against the armies of Hell all those years ago, after the angels had become extinct from the onslaught of the demons. Mother Matilde had synthetically created her, a pure angel, and given her the name "Mayu". She also knew that this stark white room she called home was nothing more than a closed space in Mother Matilde's heaven, where she was being kept safe until the time that her people needed her. Mayu was the only angel left, but that didn't matter much to her. All that mattered was that the Nephilim were righteous, and therefore had her allegiance. Mayu would fight with them. That's what the books had taught her, _and that's all she knew._

Tossing the last few words around in her mind, Mayu carefully closed the book and set it on the table beside her. Shifting her emotionless eyes over the white washed walls and carpet that twinkled like snow, her gaze fell upon the simple bed lying inconspicuously in the far corner of the room. She wondered vaguely if she should sleep. Being an angel, things like food and sleep were unnecessary to her, however, she had learned that naps helped pass the time, especially since there were no windows in her room, nor any other way to tell time. Each move was meticulously timed as she got up from the chair and slowly came over to the bed, unfolding the carefully made sheets and inserting herself between them. She closed her eyes and sleep came to her immediately, as it always did. Mayu always found it slightly disappointing that she never dreamed.

When Mayu's eyes flew open several hours later, she found that the light reflecting off her pale ceiling seemed somehow brighter than before. This was very strange indeed, as Mayu had repeated this ritual of unnecessary slumber many times in her hundred years of life, and not a single time had there been any change or abnormality. Feeling neither excitement nor worry, she sat up and glanced about the room. Everything seemed to be in place; the armchair sat quietly against the wall, and her book was still placed on the carved table beside it. The carpet, walls, and wainscoting were all still the same bright white. The permanently lit chandelier still hung overhead, its candlelight flickering, but bright, and her books sat silently on their shelves.

However, when Mayu's gaze fell upon a certain section of the wall on the far left side of the room, she found the change. Strangely, a small square seemed to be missing in the wall. The hole was no more than two feet tall, and all that could be seen through it was a bright, unfiltered light. Mayu cocked her head to the side, staring blatantly. For a moment, she puzzled over this new appearance, several theories floating around in her mind. Finally, deciding this must be a calling of some sort, she got up from the bed, carefully arranged the bedding, and calmly walked over to the square of light. Without a moment's hesitation, she dropped to her knees and crawled through the aperture. For a moment, she could see nothing, but her eyes quickly adjusted and she found herself on all fours in an extravagant and brightly lit hallway. Intricate tapestries depicting Mother Matilde and her followers hung on the walls, along with golden cases whose shelves were lined with various expensive looking trinkets. Mayu swiftly got to her feet, eyes scanning her surroundings carefully. She took a few steps forward, and seeing nothing particularly negative making itself known, she strode down the hall, careful to keep her wits about her. Was this the day she had been waiting for? Was she at last needed by her creator?

It seemed like hours passed as she walked on with the same scenery repeating over and over again. When at last the end was in sight, Mayu was greeted with a massive, golden door that was so heavily filigreed that she wondered if she was looking at the very gates to heaven. For a moment, she simply stared at the elaborate, lion shaped door knocker that protruded from its front. Making her decision, however, she raised a small hand and pulled back the knocker, listening carefully as the resulting sharp sound rung out. Immediately, the door swung open and a gust of wind blew outward, causing Mayu to raise a hand to shelter herself as her hair and dress rustled about.

Once the wind had died down, Mayu lowered her arm, and was greeted by a scene like nothing she had ever seen before. A large, round room with impossibly tall ceilings was spread out before her. On the ceiling had been painted a scenery of angels and cherubs relaxing in the clouds, their expressions hard to read. Their faces looked so real, that Mayu almost expected to see their wings shifting as they gazed at one another. The rest of the room was covered in gold and red decorations, elaborate carvings, and dainty filigree. Lining the outer walls sat five intensely extravagant arm chairs, the central one being the most delicate and beautiful. Each of the outer chairs were occupied by tall, black hooded figures draped in velvet robes, and in the central one sat a woman Mayu instinctively knew was Mother Matilde. Mayu had seen many pictures of her in her books, and although she had most certainly aged, her elegance and prettiness was apparent. She was clothed in a red and gold court gown that put Mayu's simple white dress to shame. Mayu could only stare, expressionless as the woman smiled down at her. She could hear quite a ruckus in the room as the advisers whispered to one another, though she could not make out their words. Without another thought, Mayu dipped into a low curtsy, though she was unable to speak.

"Ah, my precious Mayu, it is wonderful that we should meet our savior!"

* * *

Mayu stared at the mirror, transfixed, as she sat before the dressing table. Two Nephilim women, who's clothes indicated they were maids, fussed about her hair and outfit as she stared blankly. Mayu was surprised by the smallness of her body when compared to the others she had seen that day, although she knew her body should have been mature at this point in her life. She found that her eyes, though large, were a bright golden color that seemed strange to her. Her skin was a milky white, and her pale hair fell in fluffy curls down passed her knees, the hue varying at the ends to create a rainbow effect. What she found the most odd, though, was her expression. It seemed so… _lifeless_. Not at all like the angels in her books. And yet, it never changed, not even slightly as she watched.

At Mother Matilde's (who was currently seated behind the trio, watching intently) command, the maids had dressed her up in an elaborate tea-length empire waist dress with several layers of glittery ruffles at the bottom. Mayu found herself very confused as one maid began to braid her hair, and the other placed a large, white flower headdress on top of her head. Why were they so concerned with her appearance? Wasn't she going into battle? She wished fervently that they would remove her gag so that she could question Mother Matilde. She had waited so long for this day, and yet everything seemed so unlike what she had imagined. Once they were satisfied, the maids had Mayu stand and approach Mother Matilde. The older woman looked her over carefully, and seeming satisfied dismissed the two maids. They quickly made their exit out into the hallway beyond the only door in the room. Mother Matilde eyed Mayu carefully over a cup of tea, her short brown hair curling close to her cheeks.

"Ah, now you look the part, dear!" She said, smiling. Mayu could only stare in response.

"You know, I feel a bit nostalgic. It's finally time for you to unite us…" She continued, taking another sip of her tea. Mayu cocked her head to the side, her only way of questioning. Unite who? Wasn't she supposed to fight the demons?

"Oh? You are confused? Now why is that… I assumed that you could put two and two together." Mother Matilde mused, setting down her teacup. She then removed herself from her chair and made her way to the door, placing her hand on the knob as Mayu's confusion grew.

"Fortunately for you, there are several candidates, so I'm going to let you choose the one you like the best. You'll have a year to make your decision." As she spoke, the doorknob in her grip began to glow red as if heated. Slowly, she turned the knob over and began to open the door. The brightly lit hallway had been replaced by a wall of inky black darkness that even Mayu's gaze could not penetrate. Mayu stared blankly, her expression unwavering but her eyes asking a million questions. The woman before her chuckled.

"Well, go on. Find a prince to marry! Although… they're all a bunch _demons,_ so I don't envy you." She said, smirking. Turning her gaze to the doorway, Mayu attempted to make sense of the situation, but nothing seemed to add up. What was she talking about? This wasn't what she expected at all.

But, somehow, one thought kept repeating in her mind.

_Mother Matilde knows best._

And so, with one last look at her creator, Mayu stepped into the shadows, watching uninterestedly as they devoured her body and left her in darkness.


	2. Red Punishment

_(Author's Notes)_

_Welcome to chapter two! Two of the five boys are introduced in this chapter; Kaito and Len! They're pretty evil now, but don't worry they'll get better later on haha! And, you may have noticed Mayu isn't really yandere so far, but I've planned it to be a gradual thing in this story.  
_

_Also a quick warning, this chapter has some self harm in it, so don't read this if that bothers you. ^^_

* * *

Kaito sat, long legs crossed and a finger tapping impatiently on the chair's armrest, as he stared at the large, double doors before him. He was surrounded by complete darkness, with shadows bathing the Gothic decor and licking at his boots. Here, for now, he was master and this was his kingdom. However, this did not aid with his current displeasures. By his estimation, he had been waiting in this stuffy parlor for fifteen minutes now, and that was most certainly fifteen minutes _too long_. Angel or no angel, Kaito Shion waited for no one. Growing rather annoyed, he toyed with a few strands of his dark blue hair as his frown grew deeper. Normally, he would have given up on something so trivial as greeting a guest (as the others had) and left by now, but he had already decided that this "angel" everyone was so worked up about _belonged to him_. And when Kaito set his mind to something, he wasn't one to let it alone.

Kaito was brought from his thoughts when the doors suddenly flew open on creaky hinges. Light flooded into the room, and he could just make out the silhouette of a small girl standing in the doorway. She stepped inside daintily, and the door was slammed shut and locked behind her with a certain finality. Shadows now once again filling the space between them, Kaito could see her clearly. She appeared to be about five feet tall, with long pale hair that had been pulled into a neat braid, the ends of which varied in color. She was very slender and almost child-like, though he knew her to be in her late teens by human standards. What struck him most, however, was her face. Her eyes were large and seemed to glitter in the darkness, but the position of her thin brows presented no distinct emotion. The bottom of her face had been covered with a long pink ribbon; he had been told that this concealed a gag that was for his own safety. Ha! How droll, he thought. Strangely, though, her overall expression was entirely unreadable, and Kaito couldn't help but smirk at her innocent aura. This was going to be fun.

She looked around blearily, clearly blinded by the darkness. Still, she seemed like a china doll, in that neither did she look panicked, nor particularly interested in her predicament. Suddenly, an idea came to him. She clearly couldn't see him, so Kaito reached a hand to the golden letter opener lying quietly on the desk beside him, and with a carelessly accurate flick of his wrist, he sent it catapulting in the angel's direction. The object hit its mark and sunk straight through her chest, pinning her to the wooden door behind her with a sickening squelch. However, she didn't so much as flinch and only stared down dumbly at the protruding letter opener for a few strange moments. A small hand then slowly reached up and pulled the weapon from her chest, letting it slip from her fingers and clatter to the floor rather unceremoniously. There was now a small rip in her white dress, but not so much as a drop of blood emerged from her chest. Her dead eyes then closed in on his position, clearly having followed the trajectory of his makeshift weapon. She was incapable of speech, so she simply stared. Kaito chuckled, his deep voice echoing throughout the room as his eyes danced with mirth. With a simple snap of his fingers, the quietly swinging chandelier overhead lit up with fire, the lit wicks danced like ghosts as they penetrated the shadows. The room was then bathed in a flickering orange glow, although small vestiges of shadows remained in pockets around the room. Kaito placed a hand under his chin as he waited for her eyes to scan over him, cataloging every detail of his visage.

"So you really are an angel." He said, watching her with a predatory gleam. To his annoyance, he received nothing more than a few blinks from the girl as she stood in the parlor. Giving an aggravated huff, Kaito got to his feet and strutted up to her, looking more like a cocky prince than a demon. He paused a few steps before her.

"Your room's this way, Mayu." He said haughtily, jabbing a finger in the direction of the upper east wing, accessible by the winding stair case on the other side of the room. Without another word, he took off in that direction, his pace deliberately quickened. Mayu watched him for a moment before deciding she had no choice, and hurried after him. It was very difficult for the small girl to keep up with him, and more than once she tripped and stumbled. She never paused nor attempted to make him slow down, however, and remained stoic the entire time. The whole "not speaking" thing was really grating on Kaito's nerves at that point, though, and thankfully, he knew _exactly_ what to do about that. Yuma had warned him not to do it, but when did that ever stop him? Just the very thought excited him.

They made it up the stairs and through several hallways on the upper level before they came to one of the few windows in the mansion. Mayu paused, staring blatantly. Beyond the window lay nothing but an endless sea of licking, seething flames that burned bright and hot. Placing a hand on the window, she could feel the scorching heat thrumming against her fingers. Kaito slowed his pace but didn't bother stopping.

"Welcome to Hell, sweetheart."

It wasn't long before the pair made it to the stark white door that led to Mayu's room. Kaito opened the door and she walked inside. Mayu found the decadence of the room peculiar — it was huge, with a large canopy bed at one end that had shimmery white hangings. The carpet was plush and thick, while the walls were heavily adorned with beautiful paintings of Mayu's angelic ancestors. She found it strange that such things could be found in hell, and shivered unintentionally. Candles flickered throughout the room, and Mayu found herself feeling slightly relieved that there were no windows in her new home. She noticed with dissatisfaction, however, that there was not a single book to be found in the spacious room. Turning her attention to the paintings, she walked up to the largest one, her expression eerily calm. She raised a finger and traced the lines around the angel's face, remarking at the tall, golden haired figure. The eyes were so blue and bright that Mayu could almost imagine them blinking. She realized then, with a bit of melancholy, that she was quite different than her ancestors. So lost in her reverie was she, that she failed to notice Kaito as he crept up behind her. The demon forcefully pulled her from her reverie by grabbing the bow on the back of her neck and applying pressure, until she was forced a few steps backwards and their bodies collided. He wrapped a hand around her waist and pinned her in place. As soon as his skin touched hers, Mayu could feel a penetrating, acidic sort of burning where their skin brushed together. A sharp pressure built in her temples, her head screaming to get away as she felt his evil stain her. With his spare hand, Kaito plucked at the ribbon tied around her face, his breath tickling the nape of her neck as he muttered some kind of incantation that Mayu didn't recognize. Finally, as he pulled the ribbon free of itself, it dissolved into pieces in his fingers. Coughing and spluttering, Mayu spit out the gag, a million different sensations burning into her all at once. She could feel Kaito smirk into her shoulder.

"From here on out, angel, you are mine to do with as I please. I will taint you until not a speck of your grace is left." He whispered into her ear. Mayu could feel her whole body trembling as she tried to form words, her expression wavering.

"And in the end, you will choose me."

"GET… OUT!" She finally shrieked, her voice high and unsteady. In a painful smattering of negative emotions, a pair of snow white wings emerged out from under her skin. An explosion of white feathers filled the room, and the whole house seemed to shutter at her words. The moment the utterance left her lips, Kaito was catapulted out of the room by an unseen force. He hit the wall with a thud, and before he could get up, Mayu frantically slammed the door shut and turned the lock over.

* * *

Mayu sat shivering on the edge of her new bed, the initial heat of Kaito's touch having given way to a numbing chill. Pure white feathers lay scattered around the room, and her new found pair of wings were held close to her body, sheltering her from outside stimuli. She exhaled heavily, allowing her body to fall back onto the plush bed, her arms wrapped around her upper torso. So many things had happened that day, and so quickly, that Mayu could hardly believe that only a few hours ago she was seated safely in her familiar room, book in hand. Her experience with Kaito had caused something very strange and fleeting in her — _emotion_. For the first time in her life she had truly _felt_… but what exactly was it that she had felt? She wasn't sure what to call it, but she knew it had been unpleasant. She still remembered that Mother Matilde had told her she was to "marry" a demon… but what did that even mean? Mayu's books had taught her little about marriage. Her whole situation was entirely confusing and Mayu didn't know what to think. What could be the reason for this? Either way, she was determined not to give in to this demon.

It had been several hours since she'd seen Kaito, but still she felt his chill. Mayu's mind began to wander though, and she started to think that it might be a good idea to explore her new prison a bit. She knew the other "Princes" must be roaming around out there, and without knowing how to protect herself against them, she was a little weary. But, then, Mayu did not know fear very well, and thus her decision was made. She got to her feet, and was slightly startled when her wings erupted into a flurry of shimmering light. It dispersed quickly, and Mayu was left back in her original state, save for her meddling chill. She wasn't immediately worried, though, as she had read that her wings would come and go according to her emotions, if she had any. That was the first time they had ever appeared for Mayu, and she had to admit they felt more than a little comforting.

A few moments later, Mayu was cautiously opening the white door and slowly peeking her head out into the hallway. Outside, the dim hall was quiet and still, and Mayu noticed that Kaito had clearly made his leave. And so, she traipsed out into the hall and quietly began her journey. Mayu wandered through the halls for more than an hour, never stopping nor running into anyone, demon or otherwise. Mayu memorized every route that she took, and began creating a mental map of the place as she went. She stayed to the second floor, and discovered a small music room filled with all sorts of strange instruments she had never heard of before. Other than that, she found mostly locked doors and blocked off hallways.

About to give up and head back to her room, Mayu took one more turn down a rather narrow, almost dilapidated hallway. It was very dark, and Mayu remained cautious with her steps, her golden eyes groping the darkness. Finally, at the end of the hall, Mayu discovered an open door. The tiny black door was ajar just slightly, and an eerie purple light spilled out into the hallway from the aperture. Expressionless, Mayu approached the door and opened it fully, relieved the hinges were quiet. She took a step inside the dark room, and was quite inwardly delighted by it's contents. Illuminated only by a vague colored light seeping from the far depths of the room, Mayu could see rows upon rows of book-lined shelves crammed into the surprisingly large room. She looked quite calm as she flitted around the room, pulling books from various places and scanning the pages, authors, and titles, but she couldn't deny the sparkle in her eyes. She was astonished by the fact that she recognized not a single one of them, and that the subject matter seemed so diverse. And not only that, but none of them so much as mentioned Mother Matilde. They all appeared to be works of fiction.

Several books tucked beneath her arms, Mayu ventured further into the room towards the strange purple light. She stopped several times to gander at books that caught her interest, but as she got closer, she began to notice that the silence was broken. There was some sort of low scraping sound she was able to hear in clusters, as it died down in between bouts of strength. Curious, Mayu pressed on. Eventually, she came to the edge of the room, and before her stood a tall panel of stained glass that seemed to be religious in some form, but Mayu recognized none of the characters. As her eyes traveled downwards, she realized she was not alone, and quickly withdrew behind the nearest shelf. Peeking over the bookcase, she could see the young man sitting on the wide window sill, purple light illuminating his pale skin. He looked to be only a little taller than Mayu, with golden blonde hair that had been tied into a short pony tail. His eyes were a bright, oceanic blue and seemed somehow sleepy and subdued. She thought his features looked almost angelic, until, that is, her eyes fell upon his hands. In his right hand he held a dagger, who's hilt was encrusted with several rubies and the snarling maw of a toothy dragon. Beneath the knife was his left arm, a large gash torn into it, revealing the flesh, bone, and veins beneath. Every so often, he brought the knife down and plunged it into his arm, watching idly as it grated against the bright bone within. Black blood covered the expensive looking sleeve of his jacket. It cloaked his arms and dripped down onto his pant's leg. Mayu watched vacantly as he brought the knife to his face, a pink tongue emerging from betwixt two lips to taste the black liquid dripping from his knife.

It was then that Mayu shifted her weight, and her grip on the books in her left arm slipped. Several tomes tumbled to the ground in a in a loud, clattering mess. Mayu looked down at the books, feeling more than a little uneasy — the last thing she wanted was to be touched by a demon again. These things were clearly dangerous, but at the same time, Mayu didn't feel particularly panicked. It wasn't in her nature. She looked up and found that the creature in question was eying her tiredly. He yawned and got to his feet, the knife falling to the floor as the flesh on his wounded arm began to knit back together.

"You must be the angel…?" His voice was light, but somehow his presence seemed heavy. Mayu only nodded as he approached, her posture perfect as she stared at him. He paused about a foot before her, his eyes roving her body up and down. Mayu watched him carefully, and soon spoke up.

"You shouldn't turn your knife against yourself." She said plainly, her tone completely flat. She hadn't really been that upset by his display, and her voice surprised her a little, but she remembered her books had taught her about this type of thing. They had told her that if you were in high standing, it was ill advised to harm yourself unless in complete privacy, only seen as prudent in public if it was a form of punishment for oneself in the name of Mother Matilde. This demon was a "Prince" right? So she felt it her duty to correct him. The blonde looked curious.

"Why not?"

"My books say so." She said, and at her words the demon burst out laughing, a rather melodious sound that filled the room with a strange presence.

"Was something funny?" Mayu asked, looking concerned. He smirked at her, and for a few moments they both fell silent.

"Say… You've got a lot of my books there."

"Yours?"

"Yes. I brought them all here from my personal collections back home." He said, picking up the books that had fallen at her feet.

"It's quite an impressive collection." Mayu commented, chancing a fond look at the rather large, red one still in her hand. For a moment he looked contemplative.

"Y'know, if you want to borrow so many, you'll have to give me something in exchange." He said finally, looking gravely serious.

"That seems fair. What would you like?" She responded with, suddenly marveling at the fact that she was carrying on a real conversation for the first time in her life. The demon looked thoughtful, tapping a long finger against his chin.

"I would like… a kiss." He spoke after a pause, smiling wryly. Mayu cocked her head to the side.

"What's that? Can I get one here?" She asked, genuinely bewildered. He yawned, looking annoyed at her ignorance.

"It's simple. All you have to do is touch your lips to mine." He explained, as though he were speaking to a child. Mayu took a step back, suspicion written across her pretty face.

"Why would you want that? And won't touching you hurt?" She asked wearily, beginning to feel uneasy. She wondered if she would be able to use her voice to defend herself again, she honestly had no clue how she had done it before.

"Don't be dense, a kiss is _different_. You won't feel a thing." He promised, bowing low in a very exaggerated fashion. Mayu seemed relieved, far too trusting for her own good.

"Well… maybe if you'll allow me to borrow books whenever I like?" She bartered, eying him carefully. She really had no idea what his request was all about, but it seemed harmless enough to her.

"Deal." He agreed, punctuating his word with a yawn. Slowly, Mayu approached him as he leant forward and closed his eyes, long lashes brushing together. Mayu came as close to him as her body could bare, her long dress brushing against his blood stained pants. She leaned forward, but hesitated as her lips hovered over his. She marveled at their nearness, she could see every detail of his face and feel his otherworldly breath against her skin. It seemed so strange to her to feel this closeness.

Irritated by her indecision, the demon closed the space between them with a suddenness that startled Mayu. As soon as their lips touched, a prickling sensation spread out from her lips to her toes. As he pressed further against her, the sensation evolved into a rippling, intense pain that coursed through her whole body in waves of excruciating sensation. Panicking, she tried to step away from him, but he held her in place. Mayu attempted to use her words, but found herself unable to speak.

When finally he released her, the frail girl fell to her knees, her shaking legs unable to sustain her own weight. She coughed and hacked, trying to rid herself of his rotten taste. Her mind began to feel fuzzy as he grinned down at her, eyes glowing ominously. A throaty laughter filled her ears as pain pulsed through her head, and she could only watch as he turned his back to her and began walking away. As he left, the demon tossed one of the books he had picked up in her direction, and she cried out when the heavy tome collided with her back, and caused her to fall over. It wasn't long before everything went black, and she felt her body crumple beneath her.


	3. Dream Demon

_(Author's Notes)_

_Hello again! Chapter three is finally finished, yaaay! So anyways, in this chapter the remaining characters are introduced. First up is Gumi, who is not really a part of the reverse harem or anything, but instead serves as a sort of guide for Mayu. That said, I decided to write Gumi a bit differently. I was very inspired by the song "First Love Academy * School of True Love" to say the least haha! So anyways, basically I'm leaving Gumi's gender for this story completely up to the reader! I hope you enjoy, and please let me know what you think! :3_

_P.S. Thank you so much Reign (Absolute Despair Girl) for being my beta! It really helps me to improve!_

* * *

When Mayu next became aware, she could feel little droplets of water pattering against her skin. At first, the strange new sensation had startled her, but after a few minutes, she relaxed, and the steady symphony comforted her. Her now drenched white dress clinging to her body, Mayu soon began to open her eyes, and she was greeted by a scene like nothing she had ever seen before.

Mayu was seated in the middle of a cobbled platform of sorts that appeared, from the view, to be situated on the side of a mountain. All around her grew a plethora of different fauna; the dense green plants crawling up the rocky face of the mountain around her. The ground beneath her was wet and cold to the touch, while the sky above her was grey and dreary. There seemed to be a light mist that had settled over the scene, and Mayu was left shivering from the chill. Slowly, as to avoid slipping, she got to her feet, and her eyes traced the path that wound around the side of the mountain.

Mayu found herself feeling very confused as she began to follow the path, beckoned by a strange feeling thrumming against her chest. Her clothes stuck to her skin uncomfortably, and her bare feet slipped several times on the wet cobbled path, but she still pressed on. It was about a ten minute hike before Mayu came to a sort of pavilion. It was a wooden structure that had been painted a pale blue, with a roof covered in gray shingles. Grateful for some shelter from the rain, Mayu traipsed up the steps and underneath the roofed area. She was immediately filled with an inward sense of awe as her pale eyes took in the view around the pavilion; neighboring mountains poked out of a blanket of fog, green and luscious. The clouds stood out bold and powerful against the few glittering rays of sunlight that managed to make their way through the mist. The rain whispered softly as it fell to the ground below, and Mayu could only stare listlessly as her wet hair was picked up by a gentle breeze.

"Your dreams are very beautiful!" A voice suddenly spoke from her left, and Mayu immediately turned to face the sound. Beside her stood a person grinning down at her with excitement. The figure was tall and flat chested like a man but had the large, bright eyes and narrow shoulders of a woman. The hair of this stranger was a vibrant green and quite short, with two longer pieces in the front to frame the face. The stranger was dressed quite sharply with a crisp white business shirt, a black vest with gold detailing, and puffy black pants that stopped just beneath the knee. Mayu found that the voice was just as nondescript gender-wise as the appearance. She felt curious but held her tongue.

The stranger then took her hand up and placed a light kiss on its back. She was quite relieved to find that no pain resulted from the touch. So this person wasn't a demon, and this clearly wasn't Hell, so what was going on exactly?

"My name is Gumi! It's a pleasure to meet you at last, Mayu!"

"What are you?" Mayu asked, her head cocked to the side slightly, though her face remained blank. Was this person a nephilim? She was very confused.

"For now, it's best not to say, but I've come to you for a trade of sorts! Will you hear me out, dear?" Gumi asked. The stranger seemed quite eager and their eyes glimmered with anticipation. Mayu thought for a moment, her latest experience had taught her to give a little more consideration to her deals with others.

"… What do you propose?" She asked at last. Gumi turned and stared out at the mountain scenery, a more subdued smile on their lips.

"All I need is information, and I can offer the same."

"Oh?" Mayu commented, coming up beside the person and leaning against the railing, her emotionless eyes staring out into the distance. They gazed at the same scenery, and yet somehow they saw something completely different in it.

"You tell me what's happening to you in hell, and I'll tell you everything I know about these 'princes' you're living with." Gumi offered, turning to her with warmth. Mayu mulled it over for a few silent moments, her eyes somewhat pensive.

On the one hand, she knew not if she could trust this person or if they were an enemy to Mother Matilde, but on the other hand she could use any advantage against these creatures that she could get. Finally, she simply nodded once, kurt and to the point. That was enough, though, for Gumi to pump a fist into the air triumphantly.

"Awesome! So what happened when you first arrived?"

Mayu then went on to explain about how she had met Kaito, and the things he had said and done to her after he had brought her to her new room. Her descriptions were very discreet and lacked detail. Her expression remained completely bland as she mentioned only the most important things about her experiences. Gumi looked quite disgusted when she had finished.

"I'm very sorry you're having to deal with this, Mayu. But, the man you met is Kaito Shion. His father is the current reigning king of hell, making him the sole heir. He's known for being very prideful and ruthless. I'm honestly surprised he even came out for your hand. He's usually not into politics." Gumi explained, watching Mayu closely. Mayu stared at a cloud she thought looked particularly like a face, her thoughts wandering to Kaito and the things he had told her.

"And what happened next?" Gumi pressed, and Mayu was driven from her reverie. She then told Gumi about the blonde she had met in the library, though she didn't know his name. When Mayu told her about the kiss, Gumi sighed exasperatedly.

"Meiko obviously didn't teach you much, sheesh." Gumi mumbled, and Mayu looked very confused at her slip, so Gumi quickly continued.

"Anyways, from the description you gave, I think this smart ass is Len Kagamine. He's Kaito's cousin, his Mom being the Shion head's sister. The Kagamines often quarrel with the Shions, and the Kagamines are actively pursuing the throne. All I know about Len personally is that he's known for being twisted, as I'm sure you've realized." Gumi said, looking thoughtful. Mayu nodded and looked back to Gumi.

"Is there anything else? Our time is running out." Gumi said, their voice suddenly sounding distant.

"After that I ended up here—"

"Then we'll have to end it. It was nice meeting you, Mayu!" Gumi exclaimed, smiling.

"Wait, I still have questions…" Mayu protested, but moments later, she found her eyes flying open, only to realize she was back in the depths of hell.

* * *

Yuma stared out the window, a melancholic look spread across his handsome features. He watched as the flames flickered and hissed at the glass, their bright fury weaving strange after images into his eyes. It saddened him to think of the past as his mind stumbled through various memories; his sister's smiling face and the bright days he used to take for granted in heaven. That seemed like so long ago, like a distant, sepia colored dream that sometimes felt like it had never even happened in the first place. Hell was his only reality now.

He sighed and glanced back at the girl lying in his bed. She looked so peaceful, her little hands clasping at the comforter and her long braid curled around her body. Physically, she seemed so different from her ancestors — from _him_. She was tiny and fragile looking, without a hint of that mature elegance he so fondly remembered. Quickly, and with more than a little apprehension, he stole a look at the other occupant of the room. Kaito lay on the other oversized bed in the room, his midnight blue hair a mess and the sheets tangled around his slim body. Yuma really hated having to share a room with the guy, but unfortunately it was necessary for their current situation. He really did hope though that Mayu would come to before Kaito awoke, so that he could get her out of here without any drama. Kaito had insisted on bringing her here when he had found her collapsed in the library earlier that afternoon. The blue haired devil was initially smirking like an idiot when he'd shown up with the angel in his arms, but after a much deserved scolding from Yuma, and the realization that there wasn't much fun to be had when the girl was unconscious, he had passed out in his bed from boredom. Yuma would have brought the poor girl back to her room himself, but he couldn't afford being seen by the others. So the waiting game had begun.

When Yuma returned his golden eyes to Mayu, he realized that suddenly she was sitting up, rubbing her large eyes and glancing blearily around the room. He could feel his heart rate pick up a bit when their eyes met; it had been so very long since he'd locked eyes with an angel. He smiled warmly at her, his eyes reflecting a certain fondness. Her lips parted slightly, but the dead look in her golden eyes caused a twinge of sadness to spark in his heart. He assumed that deadness came from the fact that she was born of a power hungry mother, and never knew the love of their father. By his estimate, she probably knew next to nothing about the world. He really pitied her.

"I'm glad to see you're awake, Mayu. How are you feeling?" He asked gently, coming closer and taking a seat at the far end of the large bed. For a moment, she simply stared at him blankly.

"I feel fine… but where am I? I remember I was in the library… and then the dream…" She spoke almost hesitantly, her voice surprisingly calm. It was so high and gentle though, that he couldn't help thinking she was rather adorable. He quickly reprimanded himself, though. It was highly inappropriate.

"You're in Kaito and my room. He found you collapsed earlier… I'm guessing it was Len?" He asked, jabbing a finger at the sleeping Kaito at the other end of the room. Her expression remained completely unchanged as she stared at him.

"And you are?" She asked, cocking her head to the side, her bangs falling over her face.

"Ah! Where are my manners? I'm Yuma." He introduced, looking a little apologetic. There was a long silence that stretched between the two, Mayu's unblinking eyes watching him attentively.

"… I meant… _What_ are you?" She corrected finally, her voice faltering slightly though her gaze remained direct.

"So you're feeling it too, then?" He mumbled, looking a bit reproachful. He sighed.

"There was a time when I was like you… an angel. I fell from heaven a very long time ago, though." He said, refusing to look at her. When he finally looked up, he realized the small girl was crawling over to him from the other side of the bed, and although her eyes looked flat, they seemed to speak a thousand words all at once. A moment later, she was staring at him from an impossibly close proximity, her sweet scent filling up his nostrils. Her presence sent electricity through his body and he took in every detail of her face as it drew closer.

"I knew it. Somehow I felt it when I saw you… If you're a fallen angel… then you're one of the 'princes', right?" She looked up at him, extending a petite hand out to his face.

"I don't really know what any of this marriage stuff is about… but if you're an angel, I can trust you right? I'll choose you." She said, and though she seemed unable to portray any emotion with her expression, her wide eyes held something he couldn't place. Panicking, his own golden eyes widened as her fingers neared his cheek. He quickly grabbed her arm at the wrist with with his gloved hand in one abrupt motion.

"I'm so sorry Mayu, but I'm not the solution to your problems," he smiled sadly as he spoke to her. "My touch will taint you just as much as the others. And I am not a prince, dear… I only struck a deal with Kaito to come along in secret. I wanted to help where I could. I wanted to meet you." He explained, unable to look her in the eye. He stood and placed some much needed distance between them. This girl was so young… he couldn't take advantage of her naiveté. He turned his back to her and approached the window. Mayu stared at his back, getting to her feet as well. She could feel such a sadness emanating from him that it prickled her heart. She had so many questions.

"I think it's best if you head back to your room before Kaito wakes up… dinner will be soon and you'll have to dress up a little. They'll find it disrespectful if you don't." Yuma said, running a hand through his pastel pink hair. He then explained to her how to get back to her room, and without another word, Mayu took her leave. As he watched her go, Yuma felt a single, hot tear slide down his cheek. He had never felt more bitter.

"I'm sorry, Mayu."

* * *

Mayu stared at her reflection, a strange fascination overcoming her. She watched as the young girl in the mirror blinked and stared blankly back at her, her pink lips laid in a flat line and her golden eyes brimming with something unfamiliar.

"This is me. This is what I look like." She said slowly, pronouncing each syllable with the utmost of care. She found it strange how her lips moved so in synch with her thoughts. Shaking her head rapidly, Mayu reminded herself that there was a task at hand. Yuma had told her she needed to get ready for dinner. But, her thoughts began to drift again when the tall pink haired male she had met earlier filled her mind.

"I met another angel." She said, with a sudden excitement coming over her. She wondered why the face in the mirror didn't bother smiling, though. That's what it was supposed to do, right? But this fleeting emotion was quickly replaced by her usual sense of calm.

"No… I met a _fallen_ angel." She reminded herself sternly. That meant he was like the others, right? He would hurt her. But, there was certainly something undeniably different about him… More importantly though, how could he even _be _in the first place? She quickly went over the history her books had taught her.

Several hundred years ago the then ruling king of hell had ordered "The Purge", which was the torturing and ultimately killing of the demons who were not decendants of the original fallen, or demons spawned from the malicious human souls that wandered hell. It was thought that these fallen were risks whom might align themselves with the nephilim, who had begun to rise in power at the time. So had Yuma somehow escaped "The Purge"? She certainly had a lot of questions to ask him, but she supposed that would have to wait until later.

Sighing, she turned her attention to her pale hair — Yuma had told her she needed to dress up for this dinner, and that was why she had entered her bathroom in the first place. The braid was looking a bit scruffy at this point, and the flowers that had been pinned to her head were now askew. She quickly removed the flowers and took down the braid. She was left with a curly rainbow mess, so she located a brush in one of the drawers and set to work. Brushing her hair had often been a rather soothing activity for Mayu before she had come to hell, and she couldn't help humming a little as she tamed the beast. Finished, she looked herself over in the mirror. It certainly looked better… but it seemed a little plain, she decided. What else could she do? She had little to no experience with styling hair, as she had never needed such things before. She began rifling through the drawers for some pins or something, but instead she found two white hair ties.

"Hmm…" She mumbled to herself before she got started. It took her about fifteen minutes of struggling, but finally she ended up with two, long wavy twin tails that seemed to go nicely with her straight cut bangs and fluffy fringe. Satisfied at last, she stared placidly at the girl in the mirror. A sudden curiosity flickering in her mind, she tugged the corners of her lips upward, trying to imitate the smile that Yuma had given her earlier. It seemed strange on her, like it didn't match her eyes very well. But somehow… she felt encouraged. Her eyes then wandered down to the rip in her dress that was left from Kaito's letter opener.

"Well… something needs to be done about that." She muttered before exiting the bathroom and heading to her wardrobe. Throwing the doors open, she found a numerous amount of various white dresses stuffed into the elaborate wardrobe. She pulled out a ruffly white dress that reached her knees and had a very full skirt. She quickly changed and added a bow to her hair before taking her leave, albeit a bit apprehensively. Yuma had told her to head to the dining hall as soon as she was ready, and that the others would be arriving soon.

After a few minutes travel time, she was standing before one of the side doors that led to the dining hall, which thankfully she had noted on her way to her room when Kaito had first led her around. As she placed her palm on the golden door handle, Mayu became aware of two distinct voices coming from within. She could be assured that both were decidedly male and completely unfamiliar to her but could not make out what the muffled voices meant to say. Not allowing herself to hesitate, she opened up the door and slowly walked inside.

The room was grandiose to be sure; murals were sprawled across the walls and ceiling, depicting stories of brutality that Mayu had never heard of. The table was extremely long and various wooden plant and animal shapes protruded from the massive legs. The only light came from four dinner candles arranged at either end of the table, their flickering light flitting about the room and stabbing at the shadows. The wood floor creaked beneath her feet as she shifted her weight and allowed the heavy door to swing shut behind her. There were two men seated in the middle of the table, neither of which she recognized. The shorter one, who sat on the left, had messy teal hair and matching eyes that seemed to shimmer in the dim room. He grinned when he saw Mayu, tightening his grip around the neck of the beat up teddy bear in his lap. It soon became clear to Mayu that both the voices she had heard belonged to this man, as he kept whispering to the ratty bear, then using a different voice to make the toy's response. Beside him sat a rather bored looking man with dark pink hair and thin, gold rimmed glasses perched on his nose. He only bothered to glance at her before motioning to the seat across from his companion. Mayu didn't have much choice at that point, so she took the seat and carefully arranged her dress, eyeing the pair wearily. What she felt was more apprehension than fear.

"Wow! Isn't she much smaller than we imagined?" The teal haired man questioned.

"Indeed… but don't you think she's wondering who we are?" Came the other man's reply, his voice harsh. The shorter man pouted, but his smile soon returned as he turned back to Mayu, who was watching the two rather impassively.

"My name is Hatsune Mikuo, this guy is Megurine Luki, and this," At this point he sat the bear down on the table, "is Miku!"

Mayu was very confused by this bear — it didn't appear to be alive, so why was he carrying it around? And besides that, it was falling apart. However, Mayu had no time to question the pair as the door soon swung open to reveal Kagamine Len, his blue eyes flashing as he shot her a smirk. Without a word he sat down in his chair and leaned back, though he kept glancing over at her. Thinking about it, she realized that she only knew the blonde's last name from the weird dream she had had earlier — so was it even right? While Mayu fretted over her thoughts, the door once again swung open, but this time with considerably more force. Kaito stomped into room, the candles flickering nervously in his presence. He glared at the back of Len's head, rubbing a red place on his pale forehead.

"Kagamine! Don't think you're getting away with tripping me down the stairs, bastard!" Kaito growled, his voice low and threatening as he slid into the other open seat beside Mayu.

"My! Aren't you two lively tonight?" Mikuo commented, smiling wildly at his company.

"I didn't do a damn thing. He's just a klutz." Len commented smugly, though his expression was at odds with his words.

"Regardless, we have yet to have a peaceful dinner since we arrived, and I think it's high time." Luki spoke up, glaring profusely at the two troublemakers. For a while, a tense silence fell upon the group, with Len and Kaito exchanging glares while Mikuo and Luki seemed more interested in eyeing Mayu or one another. Just the presence of so many demons made Mayu nauseous, her bones thrumming with an odd, unsettling sensation. She could feel her hands shaking as the clock on the far wall struck the hour, an ominous chiming echoing throughout the mansion. Almost instantly, all heads turned upwards, grins plastered to their faces. Mayu followed their gazes and noticed a thin line running through the mural on the ceiling, as though there were an opening hidden there. Mayu startled slightly as the ceiling suddenly swung inwards and a large, heavy and very smelly bag came falling down upon the table with an audible thud. Mayu stared at the large, oblong bag, her brows furrowed almost imperceptibly. Was this… dinner?

Kaito turned his attention towards Mayu, a wild grin covering his face.

"Mayu, why don't you do the honors?" He suggested, eliciting a smirk from Len.

"Yeah, go ahead, Mayu." Len concurred, and Luki seemed quite amused that the two had found something to agree on. Mikuo chuckled lightly.

"They're really mean, aren't they Miku?" He said, his face teeming with excitement as he wiggled the bear's head in agreement to his statement. Though she felt a sinking feeling in her stomach, Mayu refused to hesitate and remained stoic. She got up from her chair and reached her hands to the center of the table. She moved aside the flaps of the bag, and upon exposing the contents was met with an overwhelming stench that caused her eyes to water. Mayu's eyes widened slightly as she stared into the rotting face of what she could only assume was a human woman. Her skin was yellow and bruised, her face gaunt and her unseeing eyes stuck into a look of absolute horror. Without a word, Mayu quickly sat down and averted her eyes as the feeding began. They wasted no time in removing the remains of the bag and tearing the poor woman limb from limb. For the next half hour, the four princes gorged themselves, ripping shredding and ultimately consuming flesh, blood, and even bone. It was a flurry of red carnage, and Mayu simply stared down vacantly at her lap, wincing slightly every time a drop of blood landed on her. She was thankful, at least, that the woman was already dead when this all began.

Mayu refused to look up from her lap, a cold terror gripping at her heart. Thoughts and worries came crashing down on her as the noxious sounds filled the air. Was she even going to be able to _survive_ these demons? Somehow though, as she sat there avoiding the problem, a strange and unfamiliar feeling settled in. And just like that, something inside the angel snapped; she suddenly stood, her eyes stumbling around the room.

The four demons were drenched in crimson, the woman had been reduced to a few remaining piles of red, sticky entrails and clumps of fatty tissue. Mikuo held one of the woman's eyes, toying with it idly, while Len looked as though he was fighting sleep, a yawn escaping him as blood dripped from his mouth. Kaito was licking his red fingers, while Luki dabbed at his mouth with a napkin. Slowly, all eyes turned to Mayu as she stood. Strangely her mouth was set sternly and her eyes reflected unrelenting determination.

"I… believe…!" She began, her voice quiet but containing a certain forcefulness. She was met with rather confused looks from her companions.

"I believe… that there has to be good here. In all of you, somewhere! I wouldn't be here otherwise. I will find it. I will find the right path." She stated, her voice growing in strength as she continued. So many thoughts were flying through her mind all at once that she had a hard time finding the right words, her feelings overflowing.

"Therefore… I'm postponing my decision until I've figured out exactly what's going on, and that this is the correct path that Mother Matilde intended for me." Mayu concluded. All four princes showed varying degrees of shock on their pale faces, words escaping them as they watched her.

"So then, if you'll excuse me." She added, giving a curt bow of her head before she turned and left the room. Her decision was made, but the princes, of course, _had no intention of honoring it._


	4. I Miss You

_(Author's Notes)_

_Time for chapter four! This chapter focuses on MikuoxMayu, a pairing that seems to be kinda popular haha. I've actually been having a lot of fun drawing the characters from this story lately. *_*_

_The song mentioned is a vocaloid song called "I Miss You", and I highly recommend Rin's cover!_

_Anyways, I hope you enjoy! The next chapter will focus on Yuma._

* * *

Mayu sighed, watching idly as the bubbles responded to her breath and slid across the water's surface. The warm depths of her new found claw-foot tub relaxed her tense body, and she almost began to think that the horrid feast she had witnessed earlier that evening was nothing but a dream. However, she knew better, and what she had seen could not be so easily forgotten.

After a few more minutes lost in thought, Mayu got to her feet and stepped out of the tub. Water fell from her body in glistening droplets and pooled on the floor, while her hands found a fluffy towel that she used to dry herself off. She quickly threw on a ruffly night top and bloomers she had obtained in her closet earlier, and then brushed through her pale, fluffy hair before exiting the bathroom. The now familiar room was blanketed in thick, inky darkness that Mayu's eyes could do little to penetrate. It was by memory alone that she found her way to the bed and neatly inserted herself beneath the covers. Settling in, Mayu pulled the comforter up to her chin and snuggled into the pillows. Just as she shut her eyes, Mayu was startled when the bed suddenly shifted, as if someone was lying on the other side. And was that… a breath she felt on the nape of her neck?

Mayu stared blankly at the wall in front of her for a few moments before the gears in her mind clicked into place and she willed herself to roll over and view her uninvited guest. She locked gazes with a pair of stormy, navy blue eyes, and Mayu immediately knew she was in trouble. Still, she refused to feel uneasy in Kaito's presence. Instead, she simply stared quietly at him in the dimness. Mayu could see his pale skin, handsome features, and his blue hair that cascaded messily over her white pillow. But the strange thing was his expression; he looked… vexed or concerned, as though something was gnawing at his mind. After a few moments of tense silence, Kaito's dark brows furrowed.

"Don't just stare at me like that…" He mumbled grumpily, suddenly averting his gaze.

"Why are you here?" Mayu finally asked, her voice frank. At this point, she had no patience for games. She was eager to sleep and see if Gumi would return to her in her slumber. Kaito murmured a curse under his breath as he rolled over onto his back. He let out a heavy sigh before speaking.

"I wanted to ask you something."

"Yes?"

"Were you serious about what you said earlier?"

"Huh? About what?"

"When you said you believed there was good in all of us… that good would prevail?" He clarified. Mayu didn't hesitate in the slightest — she didn't need to. She quickly nodded.

"Of course. Why would someone say something they didn't mean?" She said, the very thought confusing to her. For a while, Kaito stared into her golden eyes, searching them for something. Finding nothing but purity, he smirked.

"You're really dumb. I wonder how long it'll be until you break?" He mused, but to his dismay Mayu's blank expression remained unchanged. He then rolled over, his back facing her, and closed his eyes.

"… You're not leaving?" Mayu asked, an eyebrow arched.

"Shut up! Can't you see I'm trying to sleep?" Kaito mumbled into his pillow. Mayu sighed and sunk back into her own pillow. She found herself unable to sleep for the rest of the night, and felt quite sick to her stomach when Kaito finally got up that morning and left without a word. His presence alone made her skin crawl.

* * *

Several days passed without much incident. However, the angel found that after Kaito stayed in her room for that night, she was unable to sleep even a wink. Sleep had always been something that was easy but unnecessary for her. Now that she wanted to meet Gumi in her dreams, though, she found its absence distressing.

During the day, Mayu often went to the library and borrowed books from Len, who surprisingly kept up his end of the bargain and allowed her to borrow anything she liked. Len wasn't always in the library, and when he was, Mayu did her best to avoid him. She also made an appearance at dinner every night, but hurriedly excused herself as the feasting began. She couldn't help but feel that the way the boys looked at her was somehow… _different_ after that first dinner. Hopefully it was a positive change?

On a certain evening about a week into her stay in hell, Mayu was all primped and on her way to the dining hall downstairs. The route she took always passed by the music room she had discovered earlier in her stay. She often enjoyed popping in there and toying with some of the instruments on her way to dinner, as music seemed like a very appealing and natural idea to her. At this particular time, though, something was different. As she approached, a sound wafted towards her ears from behind the closed door. A gentle melody was being played beautifully on the piano, and above that rose the sound of a male voice. His singing was light and gentle, but somehow sad at the same time. The lyrics seemed to be referring to missing someone very deeply, and Mayu felt melancholic just listening to the pretty song. She waited by the door, her ear pressed against the panel as she eagerly listened. When the song had finished, Mayu tore herself from the door and hurried down the staircase, not wanting to meet up with anymore demons than she had to.

Dinner went as usual. Kaito and Len argued incessantly, and Mikuo egged them on wholeheartedly. Once the corpse was on the table, though, Mayu hurriedly bowed and excused herself. As usual, no one tried to stop her.

On her way back to her room, Mayu decided to stop by the now certainly empty music room. There was a strange attraction she felt towards music, and she wondered if maybe she could try singing the song she had heard earlier. Mayu was quite happy to see that the lyrics, which had been scribbled down on a napkin, were still lying on a black music stand in the room. She took the napkin up in her hands and carefully looked over the lyrics, remembering how the song had sounded. Almost nervously, she cleared her throat and began to sing. Her voice was high and sweet, but somehow seemed to carry the emotion of the song well. She tried to keep her voice quiet as to not draw any attention to herself, and as she sang, Mayu began to realize that this was her first time to truly experience joy. She could feel a small smile crawling over her lips, and somehow she knew it wasn't the broken, unnatural one she had attempted before.

So engrossed in her singing was the girl, that she failed to notice when the door was carefully opened and Mikuo walked in, brushing a strand of his teal hair from his face. He had come to retrieve his forgotten lyrics, but instead he had stumbled onto quite the scene.

Mayu stood at the opposite end of the room, one small hand clutching the lyrics and the other settled over her heart. A gentle smile lit up her face and the lyrics fell from her lips like they were her own. Her beautiful voice sent tremors of pain through his body, but the opportunity was well worth it, he thought. She didn't even notice as he walked up beside her and added his voice to her own. They harmonized spectacularly and each voice complimented the other.

"Yubi no saki ni kobore ochita shinju no iro nara

Itai hodo no omoi de hora

Akaku irodzuiteru

Kimi no tame ni dore dake namida nagashite mite mo

Kono iro no imi ni kidzuite wa kurenai no

Samayou yubi wa

Yukiba wo nakushite furuete

Mitsuke nakereba

Kimi mo erabanakatta no?

Koe wo ubaeba

Tomaru koto mo dekiru kedo

Akasu koto sae not allowed

Soba ni ite want you please

Te wo totte take me there

Hitasura ni I miss you

Kono kyori ga modokashikute

Kimi dake ni want you please

Ima sugu ni take me there

Konna ni mo I miss you

Setsunasa ga tomaranakute

Koyoi tsuki ga kirei ni kagayaita toshite mo

Kimi no tame ni utau koto mo dekinai nante

Hito no nami ni nagasare tadoritsuita basho wa

Umi no soko yori mo tsumetakute kogoe sou

Hohoemu saki wa

Itsushika houkou wo kaete

Shirazu ni ireba

Nani mo kawaranakatta no?

Tadashii nante

Dare mo ienai hazu dakara

Mada ugokezu ni I'm still here

Soba ni ite want you please

Te wo totte take me there

Hitasura ni I miss you

Kono kyori ga modokashikute

Kimi dake ni want you please

Ima sugu ni take me there

Konna ni mo I miss you

Setsunasa ga tomaranakute

Awa ni natte tokete iku

Hakanai yakusoku ni shibararete

Dochiraka ga kienakereba

Kotoba ni sura dekinai no?

Soba ni ite want you please

Te wo totte take me there

Hitasura ni I miss you

Kono kyori ga modokashikute

Kimi dake ni want you please

Ima sugu ni take me there

Konna ni mo I miss you

Setsunasa ga tomaranakute

Soba ni ite want you please

Te wo totte take me there

Hitasura ni I miss you

Kono kyori ga modokashikute

Kimi dake ni want you please

Ima sugu ni take me there

Konna ni mo I miss you

Setsunasa ga tomaranakute"

Once the last note had been sung, Mayu set the lyrics back on the music stand and found herself staring down at her feet. She felt her smile fading back into her usual listless stare.

"You sing very well!" Mikuo's voice startled Mayu out of her reverie, and she looked up at him. He was smirking like usual, but strangely there was blood dripping from his nose and the edges of his eyes.

"Did I do that…?" She asked dazedly, thinking back to when she had used her voice against Kaito. She had never thought about her singing being powerful, though. Mikuo nodded.

"Your voice is your weapon, obviously." Mayu seemed to wake from a dream at his words and suddenly looked concerned. It was like a switch had been flipped in her head and she was able to _feel_… if just a little. Mayu wordlessly took off her white glove and began wiping the blood off of a rather surprised looking Mikuo, who simply watched her curiously. She was careful not to let their skin touch as she moved the fabric over his pale face.

"Are you injured?" She asked finally, after having disposed of her now bloody glove. Mikuo laughed, grinning wildly at her.

"You're not strong enough to do much damage, silly!" He said, settling down on the old sofa behind them. He motioned her to the seat beside him, but Mayu hesitated. She felt both mentally and physically exhausted at this point, and she really didn't want to be toyed with. But at his insistence, she took a seat, placing as much space between them as she could. For a while, a smiling Mikuo simply watched the girl as she stared down blankly at the hands clasped in her lap.

"Luki says something is bothering you. Something different from the obvious." Mikuo broke the silence at last.

"Oh…" She responded with quietly, thinking carefully about his words.

"Well? What is it? Luki's never wrong, and I'm particularly bored." Mikuo said. An idea then seemed to pop into his head, and he leaned into Mayu's face.

"Are you breaking already? How exciting!" He yelped giddily, his grin revealing a row of sharp teeth. Mayu sighed and closed her eyes.

"I won't give you that satisfaction. Actually… I can't sleep. That is what's bothering me the most."

"Eh? But I thought angels didn't need sleep?"

"We don't… But we _can_. And there's someone I want to meet in my dreams." She explained, and Mikuo looked thoughtful.

"Well, why don't you try sleeping in here? The music room is quite comforting, I've found. I'll be in here for a while, so I won't let anyone in." He almost sang, motioning her eagerly to lean back on the couch. Mayu looked dubious, but did as he suggested anyways and closed her eyes. She really needed to sleep, and this was her best shot. Mikuo began to hum a soothing tune, and Mayu somehow found herself relaxing. In a matter of minutes, Mikuo had the angel snoozing soundly.

The demon watched her closely, examining her every feature. She really was beautiful, he decided. He was certainly interested in seeing how this would all play out. Who would she choose in the end?

Mikuo was abruptly dragged from his thoughts by a sliding sound and a sudden pressure on his shoulder. He couldn't help but blush a bit as the sleeping girl leaned on his shoulder. He quickly averted his gaze and began to hum again. It had been a long time since he had been this close to someone, he thought. His grip on the bear in his lap tightened as his thoughts turned to his sister… _his precious Miku._

* * *

When Mayu next opened her eyes, she was staring up the night sky with stars twinkling like diamonds embedded into a deep blue frame. She was lying in a grassy field, and to her relief the night was clear and no rain was in sight. Long blades of green grass tickled her ankles as she got to her feet and looked around. Almost immediately, she spotted Gumi's tall figure a few feet ahead of her. Mayu cautiously approached the familiar person, her eyes trained on the back of Gumi's green head.

"So you _are_ more than a dream, aren't you?" Mayu mused as she came to stand beside the other figure. Gumi greeted her with a charming smile.

"Ah, it's nice to finally see you again!" Gumi said, gazing down at the blonde. Mayu looked as though she wanted to question Gumi, but the said person only raised a finger to Mayu's lips.

"You're slumber is very light tonight. We don't have much time, so…" Gumi explained, and Mayu sighed with a sense of resignation. She thought very carefully before she spoke. She knew she had yet to tell Gumi about Yuma, but something told her that wasn't the best idea. Mayu didn't want to betray him, and he certainly seemed to be keeping his presence a secret from the others.

"Very well. I've met two more demons." Mayu said at last.

"The final two? Well, that's good I suppose. So after you woke up from Len's kiss?" Gumi pressed, and Mayu simply lied, which certainly didn't sit right with the girl in the slightest. Still, her poker face was more than convincing.

She told Gumi that she had awakened in her room with a note telling her to come to dinner on her bedside table. After that she explained about the dinner and her resolution.

"You're a very strong angel, Mayu." Gumi commented, looking wistfully up at the shining stars that towered over the pair. Mayu continued with her story about her duet with Mikuo and how he had helped her to sleep. Gumi looked concerned.

"Well, Luki Megurine and Mikuo Hatsune are two of the top dogs in hell these days. They're very powerful demons, and I'm sure political pressure caused them to seek your hand. But be warned, Mayu, despite his being nice to you, Mikuo is extremely dangerous just like the others. He and Luki were not born demons, after all, and they're excellent at manipulation." Gumi commented gravely, giving Mayu a stern look. The angel looked confused.

"Then what were they?"

"Humans." Gumi's words only further perplexed her. The only mentions her books had made of humans were that they worked to serve the nephilim. How would a human become a demon? Mayu voiced her concern and Gumi smiled sadly, looking suddenly distant.

"Well, when a human dies, if there is enough hatred in their hearts, they can become a demon. The more negative their emotions, the stronger they will be. It's very sad, really."

"What happened to those two…?" Mayu wondered aloud, suddenly gripped by an emotion that made her feel very uneasy and… sad?

"As the story goes, a very long time ago, Mikuo and Luki worked together in their King's palace, along with Mikuo's sister, Miku, as servants. Apparently, Miku got greedy one day and placed some stolen jewelry from her mistress in the boys' room, blaming her brother and Luki for the thievery to gain good standing with her mistress. Her betrayal was enough to turn the two into demons after their hangings."

"That's… horrible." Mayu commented with a sudden shiver.

"Oh, Mayu look, there's a shooting star! Our time is almost up, so make a wish!" Gumi said excitedly, interrupting Mayu's thoughts. She gestured wildly at the sky, and Mayu could see a white flash streaming across the night above them. She closed her eyes and a whisper formed on her lips.

_"I wish that I could erase all this sadness…"_

* * *

Luki's long fingers flitted across the keyboard with a nimbleness that elicited an intense and melodious rhythm from the instrument he was seated at. He focused on precision with his piano playing — and precision is what he received. Every note was perfectly timed and every movement an exact science that he treasured dearly. The room was filled with a strange medley of beautiful, yet mysterious sounds. Sadly, though, his vocalist was missing, so the piano music felt somehow incomplete to the pink haired man. Still, he played.

He played, that is, until a familiar feeling began to prickle within his chest. He had begun to become accustomed to it over the last few days since she had arrived, but still he found it unsettling. Luki thrived off of control, but whenever she was near he could feel it slowly slipping away. The desire to taint her, to control her, to torment her, was undeniable and he knew that every one of his brethren felt it. It was in their nature when faced with something so… _pure_.

Luki stopped his playing and turned his eyes towards the door, where sure enough he could see Mayu's round face peeking in through the aperture, her long locks cascading over her shoulder.

"Come in." Luki said, his impatience showing in his tone. Mayu obeyed and walked into the room quietly. She clasped her hands behind her back and stood beside the old piano. Most of the boys in the house would have said that Mayu seemed like her usual emotionless self, but Luki could see a difference in her more extreme than he had noted before. Her lips were ever so slightly turned down, and her golden gaze seemed unable to keep his own. He honestly didn't care about whatever her problem was, but he figured he'd better get this over with. She wasn't the type to give up easily.

"What do you want?"

"I think I'm looking for Mikuo?"

"You think?"

"Well, I am, but…"

"Regardless, he isn't here. Mikuo is out of the manor this morning."

"Oh…" Mayu mumbled, staring blankly at the floor. Luki sighed — now she had him curious. What did she want with Mikuo? The teal-haired demon had told him about what had happened yesterday in the music room… so had Mayu grown a fondness for him? Mikuo wouldn't like that, surely. After all, the two of them had come with no intention of either of them marrying Mayu. They were only here for political reasons. But, that didn't explain why she seemed so disturbed, now did it?

While Luki was lost in his thoughts, Mayu began approaching him. He failed to notice until she was only inches from him, and she had taken up his hands in her own. Her face seemed pained as their skin touched, but she looked at him earnestly. Luki watched her with a raised brow, though internally he was panicking.

"I'm so sorry for what you and Mikuo went through… It must have been horrible, and I wish that somehow I could change it or make it right…!" She said, her cool breath ghosting across his face. There was an immense sense of sadness swimming around in her eyes, and Luki simply couldn't believe what he was hearing at all. This girl was so upset about something that happened to someone she barely knew _hundreds_ of years ago? He remembered the angels, and they certainly weren't like that. Luki could only stare at her in dumb shock, his skin prickling. Then, suddenly, she withdrew and plopped down on the couch over by the window.

"I'll wait for Mikuo here." She stated, her listlessness returning. Luki ran a hand through his pink hair and averted his eyes from the angel in an attempt to calm himself down. She stayed quiet and simply stared straight ahead, her gaze empty and inattentive. Luki tried several times to ignore her and continue playing, but each time he found his eyes wandering over to her face, and he was unable to properly move his fingers. After about fifteen minutes of this silent struggle, Luki finally spoke.

"How do you know about what happened to Mikuo and I anyways?" He asked, now returning her gaze.

"My dreams." Mayu said, and Luki exhaled heavily.

"So even _they're_ interested in you, huh?" Luki mumbled under his breath, relieved that Mayu did not seem to hear him.

"Luki… Can you tell me more about what happened?" Mayu brought up almost hesitantly. She wanted to understand them as much as she possibly could. This whole situation made her feel incredibly helpless, but maybe if she made an effort she could turn things around. Luki stayed quiet for the next few minutes and watched her closely, trying to decipher her mind.

"Mmmm… Well you know about Miku?" He asked finally. He wasn't entirely sure why he was telling her anything at all, but some hidden feeling pushed him forward. She nodded, only once.

"Mikuo and I were very close to her. We all grew up together in an orphanage, and as kids, Mikuo and I always competed for her attention. I always felt that he had the upper hand being her little brother, and after a while I, realized I would never be as close to her as he was. But, even so, we were all really good friends and stuck together even into adulthood. We all got jobs as servants in the castle… and I think that's where things went wrong. Miku always acted like her normal cheerful self, but we found out later she was far from content. Seeing the ladies she served in their elaborate dresses and fine jewels while she wore rags must have embittered her. Eventually, that jealousy consumed her."

"And that's when she framed you two?"

"Yes. She could have chosen any of the servants… but she chose us. I think she wanted to hurt us for being happy with our lives, you know? She stole her mistress's jewels and stashed them under our beds while we were sleeping. For turning us in and returning the jewels, she earned the Queen's favor and we were executed the next day. As bad as it was for me… I feel like Mikuo had it much worse. Miku was his everything in life. We would have gone back to earth for our revenge, but by the time we had become full fledged demons and were able to return topside, well, everyone was already dead." When Luki finished he turned his gaze to the window and watched the fire burn outside. Mayu's eyes were downcast, and her hands were clinched around her knees. Her brows had knitted together as though she simply couldn't understand something. How could something so horrible happen like that? Why would someone betray those closest to them in such a deliberate way? None of it made sense to Mayu.

"That's—"

"Luki! Figured I'd find you here!" Mikuo interrupted as he waltzed into the room, teddy bear tucked under his arm and a cheeky smile on his face.

"Oh… Mayu's here too—!" Mikuo himself was interrupted as Mayu launched herself off the couch and wrapped her arms around his torso. She could feel the heat from his skin singeing through her clothes, but the pain didn't matter to her at the moment. For a little while, they stood there, and Luki watched them curiously from behind his glasses. Mikuo was in shock and stood straight as a board, while Mayu buried her face into his chest.

"I'm so sorry… that betrayal must have been so painful. I can't even imagine." She mumbled, but Mikuo caught every word. Then, she released him and stared straight into his wide eyes.

"If only there was something I could do to change things… If you'll excuse me." She said after a pause, and with that she left the room, leaving two completely shocked demons behind.

* * *

It was several days later that Mikuo found himself sprawled out on his king size bed, a threaded sewing needle in one hand and the unfinished body of a rabbit plush in the other.

"Yo." Luki greeted as he entered the bedroom that the pair shared and sat on one of the arm chairs positioned between their beds. His fingers wondered over the elaborate dragon head that had been carved into the arm rest as he watched his friend at work.

"It's been a while since you made a new one. What's the occasion?" Luki mused. Mikuo didn't bother looking up from his work.

"This guy is for Mayu." He said, wincing a bit as the needle pricked his finger. Luki arched an eyebrow. Mikuo had been spending a good amount of time in the music room the last few days, and Luki was rather curious. Maybe Mayu had been with him? However, he deemed it best not to pry so he kept quiet. After a few minutes of silence though, Mikuo suddenly looked up from his sewing and stared at Luki, his eyes thoughtful.

"Luki. I think I've fallen for her." He mouthed slowly, and his words brought a smug smile to his friend's face.

"Oh really, this from the guy who bitched the whole way here about how stupid this whole situation was?"

"… Yeah." Mikuo admitted, but he couldn't help the grin that came over his features.

"Luki, just think about it! Breaking her will be so much fun! And once I win this stupid thing, I can have her all to myself." He chirped, each of his sharpened teeth glittering menacingly in the candlelight.

"So you're going to start seriously pursuing her hand?" Luki asked curiously, eyeing his friend. Mikuo stared down at the nearly finished rabbit in his left hand, the needle dangling from his right.

"I think so."


	5. Bonus Scene!

_(Author's Notes)_

_I apologize that it's been so long since the last update! I've been quite busy with school lately. Unfortunately, the newest chapter is still being written, but this scene sort of popped into my head early one morning, and I managed to jot it down at the airport. It's a rather silly scene and doesn't have much to do with the plot, but I hope you will enjoy it!_

_I feel I'm not very good at writing more comic scenes like this, but hopefully it turned out alright. ^^'_

* * *

It was dinner time as usual at the hellish old mansion in the bowls of darkness, but the occupants of the present table were far less than satisfied. It had been about twenty minutes of silence, and there had yet to be so much as a morsel of human flesh set out on the table. The five had been warned that the "catch of the day" had been _difficult_ to acquire, and would take some time to _prepare. _However, that did little to alleviate the discontented mood settled over the company.

Mayu sat in her usual way, posture delicate but her head inclined, and her golden eyes trained on her lap. Kaito had his feet propped up on the dinner table, and was currently trading sour looks with Len, who sat slumped in his chair with his arms crossed beneath his chest. Mikuo had happily claimed the chair beside Mayu, and though his face was facing forward, his teal eyes were angled towards her. A dangerous smile dangled from his lips. Luki was seated across from his friend, and currently looked very annoyed as he glared at Kaito's feet.

"So, how are you tonight, Mayu?" Mikuo suddenly questioned deviously. He was clearly looking to stir up trouble with the others. Before Mayu could even respond, though, Mikuo's words put him on Kaito's radar, and all eyes were drawn to the teal haired demon.

"Ah… fine." Mayu responded with after a pause, not bothering to look up.

"What's your problem, _imp_? You talking to my property?" Kaito nearly yelled, crossing his own arms. If looks could kill, Mikuo would have fallen flat on the floor that very moment. Len smirked, placing a hand beneath his chin.

"Well, _your property_ has been spending an awful lot of time in the library with _me_." He commented with a chuckle.

"You know, come to think of it, our _precious_ angel has been spending _quite _a lot of time in the music room with me as well, Kaito. She _truly _has the voice of an angel! But you wouldn't know that, hmm?" Mikuo mused with an innocent smile. Mayu was beginning to feel rather uncomfortable by their words, and she shifted slightly.

"I've spent plenty of time with her, too!" Kaito argued, looking positively outraged.

"And I'm sure she hates you for that very reason." Luki chimed in monotonously. Len and Mikuo immediately erupted into a fit of snickering. Kaito growled ominously, a warning to all present. However, no one was particularly inclined to heed such things from him.

"It's kind of… _interesting_… how you've spent _so much _time with her, and yet you haven't kissed her? I mean _I _have, but…" Len further teased.

"Shaddup you stupid braggart! I've come pretty close anyways…" Kaito mumbled moodily.

"Oooh, impressive, Len!" Mikuo shouted, full of fake awe.

"So, how _close_ have you come, eh, Kaito?" Luki asked, his voice full of poison as he adjusted his glasses. Kaito thought for a moment and then triumphantly slammed a hand down on the table, startling Mayu slightly.

"I've _slept _with her!" He shouted with a grin as his gaze shifted from person to person, daring anyone to challenge him. Surely no one could top that? There was a stunned silence for a moment as Len and Mikuo processed his words. Len merely blinked confusedly, but Mikuo on the other hand had his lips turned up into a snarl.

"That _can't _be true." He stated darkly, his normally jovial eyes narrowed into thin slits. It was the first time that any of them, aside from Luki, had ever seen Mikuo angry, and they were all quite surprised by his rage. All eyes then turned to Mayu, and the poor girl looked up at the men like a deer caught in the headlights.

"… It's true—" She began, but Mikuo interrupted her by abruptly tossing his chair aside and grasping the collar of the smirking Kaito's shirt. He looked as though he was about to throw a tantrum, but Mayu hurriedly continued.

"… He fell asleep in my bed one night." She finished, her face blank. She truly understood nothing of what was going on — why was everyone so upset by the fact that he had slept next to her? Why did they care at all? The conflict made her feel horrible inside, and yet she couldn't quite place why. She wanted nothing more than for everyone to get along, so she thought quickly and added to her previous statement.

"But I actually didn't fall asleep, so…!" She explained, looking at Mikuo's back. The teal haired demon's lips trembled and his his eyebrow twitched once before he burst out laughing maniacally, and Luki and Len soon followed suit. As they continued laughing like mad hyenas, Mayu looked from person to person very unsurely. When her eyes fell on Kaito amidst the chaos, she felt a small twinge in her stomach. He was glaring down at the floor, with his lips set into a fierce frown. His fingers twitched oddly as though tense.

Suddenly, she stood up from her chair, removed herself from the table, and pushed her all too ornate seat back in. With her face set, by no particular purpose on her part, into her usual emotionless gaze, she stared at the wall across from her. The laughter slowly died out.

"I've had quite enough. I don't understand any of this squabbling. You boys need to learn to get along." She stated, her tone flat as ever. She then walked to the door, but paused briefly.

"And please do not resort to bullying Kaito. Or anyone for that matter. It is very unsightly." She added quietly, before excusing herself and making her leave. The rest of the meal, for the boys, was passed in a rather thoughtful silence on all parts.


	6. Antibeat

_(Author's Note)_

_Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out! But it's finished finally, yaaay! I always have trouble writing Yuma for some reason..._

_So this chapter is all about Yuma, I hope you guys enjoy his character for this story. :) That said, I feel I must warn you all that MayuxYuma will definitely _not_ be the main pairing for this story, since my last story followed that pairing. I will, however, (hopefully) be writing two alternate endings to the first half of the story, that are based on the most popular ships that you guys can vote on! So let me know as the story progresses~_

_Anyways, enjoy!_

* * *

Mayu stood with her hand sitting hesitantly on the brass door knob. Her eyes were trained firmly on the pale face reflected back at her from the knob's shiny surface, and though outwardly calm, her stomach was in knots. Mayu had tried entering Yuma and Kaito's room several times over the last few days, and each time she had shied away in the end. Mayu felt like she had a connection with Yuma, and she desperately wanted to speak with him again. She wanted to ask the many questions on her mind. However, she also felt more than a little afraid of him. She got the strange feeling that he didn't like her very much, after all. Mayu sighed and her fingers contracted around the golden knob. Maybe she could try again tomorrow? She felt her grip sliding.

Suddenly, the door was thrown outwards, causing Mayu to stumble backwards. Her back hit the wall behind her, and it took Mayu a moment to recover from the shock. In the now open doorway before her stood Kaito, a cat-like grin hanging from his lips.

"Mayu!" He said excitedly, approaching her with long strides. She stared up at him blankly as he loomed over her, their faces inches apart. This wasn't good, she decided quickly. For a few moments he simply stared at her, a fire alight in his eyes. Mayu could feel her heart rate kick up a notch as his warm breath spread over her skin. A thin finger ghosted along her collar bone, and then slowly began to crawl up her neck and along her jawline, leaving little eruptions of pain in its wake. Kaito smiled harshly as the flat of his thumb pressed against her lips. His touch elicited sparks of pain that traveled through her skin like a disease. Still, she held his gaze and refused to cower.

"You're no fun, Mayu…" Kaito feigned hurt as he watched her. She only blinked once.

"Regardless, Len's been bragging nonstop lately… He says he kissed you." Kaito said, drawing his face closer to hers. Mayu could see the glint in his dark eyes and the way his eyelashes brushed against one another.

"You're _my_ property, so I'd say it's my turn, hmm?" He stated more than asked, leaning into her. Mayu couldn't help wincing as his heat came closer to her. Her head began to throb with pain as Kaito chuckled.

"Kaito! What are you doing?" Suddenly came Yuma's voice, and Mayu took the opportunity to shove Kaito as hard as she could and take off running. Kaito watched her go with a stormy expression, and then turned his glare to Yuma, who was now standing in the doorway with one hand against the frame.

"What the _hell_, Yuma?" Kaito growled agitatedly. He didn't appreciate the interruption in the slightest.

"You cannot seriously tell me you think _that _is going to win her over." Yuma said, sounding equally miffed as he crossed his arms beneath his chest.

"Of course it is! She'll fall for me in no time, obviously." Kaito spoke smugly, his dangerous smirk returning. Yuma sighed exasperatedly.

"Look, idiot, if you don't treat her nicely she's going to end up hating you. She'll choose someone else. And where will that leave us? We have a lot riding on her choosing _you, _so get it together already!" Yuma chastised. Kaito's eyes narrowed into slits and a strange, powerful feeling settled over the pair.

"Calm down, hothead. Weren't you hungry anyways? Go eat and think on it." Yuma said with a frown. Kaito rolled his eyes grumpily before shoving his hands into his pockets and heading off down the hallway.

"I can't just leave her exposed to them like this… Something bad will happen if I don't step in." He mumbled to himself before withdrawing back into the room and quietly closing the door.

* * *

Mayu woke up the next morning with a strange feeling in her head. She was immediately worried by the fact that she realized she had had no dream that night. However, the strange feeling persisted even through her worry, and her fingers began to wander to her forehead. To her surprise, she found a small envelope taped to her face. She winced a little as she removed the tape and then opened the card. Inside was a small piece of paper with neat, elegant script penned into it.

"Mayu, Please excuse yourself from dinner at your earliest convenience. I would like you to join me whilst Kaito is away. I have some things to show you."

The paper was signed by Yuma, and Mayu had to read it aloud several times before she realized what it meant. Yuma wanted to see her? Her fingers clenched the paper tightly and she fell back onto her plushy bed, her long night dress gathering around her legs.

"This is a good thing, right?" She mumbled. She was glad that she would have the chance to speak with him like she wanted, but at the same time, she got strange vibes from Yuma when he was near. She couldn't quite place it though, and quickly shook her head to rid herself of her negative thoughts. She then got out of bed and started her day.

She spent most of the day reading books she had borrowed from Len. In the afternoon, she went to the music room. After a few songs, Mikuo turned up, as he had been apt to do over the last few days. In the evening she attended the usual dinner and, exactly as instructed, she excused herself as early as she could, and then scampered off to the familiar room that the two demons shared.

She knocked only once, but loudly. Soon, the door was carefully opened. Mayu watched as Yuma's yellow eyes scanned the hallway beyond her, before he quickly ushered her inside. He locked the door behind her, and motioned to the two chairs opposite the window. Mayu sat at the far seat, the cackling orange flames momentarily holding her attention hostage from behind the window, but it was quickly usurped by the pink haired man as he sat down across from her. From the way he pointedly avoided her gaze, Mayu got the distinct feeling that Yuma found her presence somehow distasteful.

"… I believe you wanted to show me something?" Mayu finally vocalized after a pause. With her words, Yuma's gaze descended upon her, and Mayu was unaccustomed to the harshness of it.

"You are correct." He said, punctuating his sentence with a world weary sigh.

"Mayu, after yesterday, I realized you've been dealing with some rather… unsightly behavior at the hands of my so-called brethren. I think it's time you learned a few tricks of the trade — just enough to defend yourself should you feel threatened." He explained quickly. Mayu tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, but there was a small note of excitement in her voice when she spoke.

"You will teach me the ways of the angels?" The very thought tantalized her, she wanted to know more about her beloved ancestors. Yuma gave her a somewhat grave look, but remained silent for a few moments.

"You are a very specific type of angel, Mayu. A warrior, with your voice as your weapon. Your kind were our protectors." Yuma told her quietly, and Mayu watched him closely.

"We were told by the nephilim that your power was purposefully very minimal, but you proved that wrong in your first encounter with Kaito."

"Purposely? I was made to have meager powers?"

"You don't know what your purpose here is, do you?" Yuma questioned rigidly as he eyed her. Mayu seemed uncomfortable, and only gave him an imploring look.

"When she gave you that grace in your chest, Meiko, the woman you call your 'Mother', intended for you to be a powerless pawn. Nothing more, nothing less. She planned for you to form an alliance between the demons of hell and the nephilim of heaven, through marriage. She really didn't tell you anything?" Yuma continued, an eyebrow arched. For a moment, Mayu remained unresponsive. Her face was blank and she seemed to be staring passed him.

"That can't be true. She would never… I'm supposed to fight the demons." Mayu muttered, her fingers toying with one another.

"And yet here we are. Tell me, did any of your _books _specifically say that you were to fight them?"

"Well… no." She said flatly, her eyes downcast as she lost herself in the waves of her thoughts. How could this be? Could she really trust Yuma over her Mother?

"…But more importantly, you have a lot more power than anyone could have expected. I don't know much about the ways of your kind, as our types are very different, but I will teach you what I know." Yuma assured her as he stared out the window. Mayu's eyes darted up to his face, where they rested as he spoke.

"There are a few basic techniques I'd like to show you. It should take about three sessions. The first is a damaging screech or scream." He explained, removing himself from his seat and offering her a hand. She took it, and he guided her to her feet before leading her to the far side of the room.

"Now, draw from within. My sister—" Mayu's ears prickled at the hint of his past, and her golden eyes were trained on his.

"Your sister? What was she like?" Mayu asked, almost hesitantly. She just wanted to know more about her kin, and Yuma was her only opportunity, though she worried she might disturb him. Yuma sighed in a very troubled way before rubbing his temples, as though he had developed a headache.

"That's not the issue here. As I was saying…" He mumbled. Mayu couldn't help feeling a little stung, but she did not push it any further, and simply listened with a blank expression.

"She used to tell me, that in order to draw on her powers, she had to tap into her emotions. This may be difficult for you, but try to imagine that desperation you felt when you met Kaito. Feed that feeling and draw it out. Go ahead and let out a scream now, just not too loudly so the others don't take notice." He described, and Mayu nodded. She thought hard and her brows knitted together. She tried to remember how she had felt that time, but somehow it seemed fuzzy. She closed her eyes and tried to imagine that situation. Kaito's arms were enveloping her, and panic was welling in her chest. She tried to put that expression on her face, but even then she could feel the disconnect.

"Ahhhhhhhhh!" She yelped, but her expression remained blank and her voice fell flat. Yuma frowned, but tried to encourage her. She tried again, but she simply wasn't able to channel her nonexistent emotions. For the next hour, they made many attempts, though not a one ended in success.

"You had best get back to your room now, Mayu. Kaito will be back soon. Please practice, and do not return for your next lesson until you have succeeded." Yuma said stiffly as the hour drew to a close. The frustration in his eyes made her uncomfortable, and she could only avoid his cold gaze.

"I'm sorry."

* * *

The next morning, Mayu awoke early. She had had another dream with Gumi, which had left her with mixed feelings. Mayu had been very vague in detailing her experiences to the familiar person, and she had been sure to leave out any mention of Yuma. Still, she couldn't rid her mouth of the bitter taste of guilt from deceiving the one person who seemed to be on her side. However, she was quite worried that appearances could be deceiving, and so she held her tongue.

Mayu sighed heavily and splashed a bit of water on her face, avoiding her own eyes in the mirror. She decided that some time in the music room was most certainly in order, and so she hurriedly got dressed and headed out. Luckily, she figured that most of the boys, at this early hour, would be sleeping still.

She entered the music room quietly, and immediately walked over to the music stand. A song had been left out, and the words were typed neatly on the pages, along with the music scores. Glancing over the lyrics, Mayu thought they seemed quite dark, and having never sung something along those lines, she thought carefully on how to handle her voice. Taking a deep breath, she let the words fall from her tongue and began to sing the song. Mayu became absorbed in the lyrics as she sang, her thoughts meandering through the mind of a woman who's love had gone rotten, and whose lover's touch only elicited pain.

Halfway through the song, the door was quietly opened, but Mayu was far too busy to notice. Mikuo walked into the room with a playful smirk and plopped down in a chair behind the singer. When the song drew to a close, Mayu could feel a small smile tugging at her lips, but was almost immediately shocked back into her normal state when a vigorous cheering became audible from behind her. Mayu turned to see Mikuo eyeing her, his teal hair a bit messier than usual. Strangely, he held his hands behind his back, as though attempting to hide something from her.

"That was a lovely performance." He complimented, giving her a smile and a little bow.

"Ah… thank you." Mayu said quietly, staring down at her feet.

"I missed you yesterday. You never came up here." Mikuo commented with a pout.

"I was busy—"

"Who were you with?" The question sounded innocent enough, but the intense look in his teal eyes and the unhappy set to his lips made Mayu uncomfortable.

"Ah, umm, K-kaito…" She lied, knowing Yuma wouldn't want Mikuo privy to his presence. She felt bad lying to Mikuo, since he had been pretty nice to her up to this point. Still, she had her loyalty. A silence fell between them then as Mikuo glowered passed her, but with a strange suddenness, his smile soon returned, and he stood.

"I have something for you, Mayu!" He said excitedly as he approached her, hands still hidden behind his back. He then quickly removed his hands to reveal a rabbit plush clasped in them. It was quite large and cream colored, with a little black caplet and a big zipper going down its belly. It had two big, red button eyes and long ears with hearts on the ends.

"I made him for you, his name's Mimi." Mikuo explained and placed the rabbit in Mayu's hands. For a moment, Mayu simply stared at him, unsure of how to respond. But, somehow, she forced a little smile onto her lips as she clutched the bunny to her chest. Mayu had never really received a gift before, and she wanted to show that she was indeed grateful to her new friend.

"Thank you. I didn't know you could make this kind of thing…" She said, and Mikuo simply stared at her, his cheeks flushing slightly. Then, suddenly, he took a step closer to her and lowered his face so that their noses brushed.

"Don't you think this is silly?" He spoke, his words sounding sharp and his expression strangely serious.

"W-what?" She stuttered, taken aback. She tried to step away, but found his arm encircling her from behind in a ring of pain. This didn't make any sense, Mikuo had never acted like this before! But Gumi's warning echoed in her head.

"This whole marriage thing… Why don't you just get it over with and choose _me_? You know I'd make you happy…" He said, his breath ghosting across her face. He leaned in as though to kiss her, but she quickly shoved him back a bit.

"As I said, I'm postponing my decision until—"

"Oh, come on…" He mumbled, pulling her close again. Mayu felt panic build up in her chest as he smirked down at her. Desperation clouded her mind as the pain throbbed in her head, but she tried to remember what Yuma had told her about her power. She needed to access her emotions right…? She closed her eyes as his lips traveled up her neck. She focused on the pain and let loose a loud, eerie screech that pulsated through the room with an oppressive throbbing. Mikuo stumbled backwards, clutching his ears as crimson blood trickled down his neck.

"I'm sorry…" Mayu mumbled hoarsely before fleeing the room, the push still gripped in her fingers. Mikuo recovered quickly, but watched her go with a smirk.

"How adorable."

* * *

Yuma had been up most of the night feeling uneasy, and of course this left his thoughts to wander as he watched the fire burn eternally outside his window. He shifted uneasily in his chair, feeling quite envious of Kaito's sound slumber across the room.

In truth, he realized with a sigh, he was worried about Mayu. She seemed to have so much power… but couldn't access it because of a lack of emotion? What kind of creature had that rotten nephilim created, exactly? Every time he saw Mayu, Yuma felt more and more uneasy. He couldn't deny it — he felt a connection with her, since they were the last of their kind. However, he felt sad when he looked into her empty eyes. She was certainly missing something within her, and he knew she would most likely never find it if he and Kaito's plan went smoothly. Not to mention, if one of the others took her hand.

Suddenly, Yuma was thrown from his thoughts when the door began to slowly creek open. Alarmed, he quickly hid behind his bed, carefully peeking his head above the messy sheets to identify the early morning visitor. With a mixture of relief and disquiet, he recognized the familiar tiny frame and bright, golden eyes of Mayu as she cautiously entered to room. Yuma sighed frustratedly and rose to his feet.

"Ah… I hope I didn't wake you…" She mumbled with a start as she approached him. She fiddled with her fingers and watched him nervously.

"No… no… But what is it? Kaito could awake at any moment." He said, averting his eyes, though they quickly trailed back to her face. Without warning, she looked up at him sharply, and he realized she was smiling. Though the smile was small and almost unsure, she looked radiant, he thought. It seemed strange to see her smiling like that, but somehow watching her put him at ease.

"I did it… I did as you said and I managed to use my voice to protect myself." She said very quickly, so that the words almost stuck together. He heard her voice, but barely understood the words as his mind clouded over. Something about her today seemed… intoxicating. He couldn't keep his eyes off of that smile… He could feel his finger twitch as he dimly realized the desire to touch that smile, that face, to feel the skin of another angel. He sternly berated himself, however, and managed a muddled response.

"Ah… that's good…"

"So we can continue the training, then?

"Well, not _now._ Kaito could wake up any minute… you really should go…" He immediately regretted his words, though, as he saw that pretty smile crumple, and her face returned to her usual blank stare. He looked away, feeling guilty, but he couldn't take back his words. She needed to leave before this went any further. Suddenly, she gripped his fingers in her small hands and drew them close.

"Is it because I don't look like the other angels? Is that why you hate me?" She asked quietly, her piercing eyes boring into him. He frowned and shook his head.

"I don't hate you, Mayu. Far from it. I just think it's best if we don't get attached. We're from different worlds, y'know?" He answered, but his words weren't even convincing to himself. He sheepishly looked back at her, only to find the girl furiously wiping at her eyes. Upon closer examination, he could see fresh tears sliding down her cheek, that seemed disconnected from her listless expression.

"W-what is this? I don't understand… what's happening…" She choked out. Yuma's hand seemed to move of its own accord as it reached up and brushed away her tears. He felt his fingers shaking with emotion as he brushed them across her cheek, reveling momentarily in the sensation. She looked up him, and tried to smile, but only ended up looking sad. And in that moment, Yuma froze.

Looking down at her, her expression looked so much like his sister on that horrible day… his dearest _Flower._

Yuma inhaled sharply and hurriedly stepped away from her, as if she had burned him.

"You need to leave. Now." He said sternly. Mayu looked vaguely confused.

"B-but—"

"Get. Out.

"Yuma, I don't—"

"LEAVE!" He finally shouted. Mayu's face drained of all color, but she turned quietly and left without another word.

* * *

Yuma found himself sitting alone in a pitch black room. All he could see was dark emptiness stretching around him in all directions. He tried to stand and turn his head about, but he was glued to the cold ground beneath him. Panic welled up inside his chest as he tossed about wildly, like a fish out of water, however, he found himself unable to so much as blink or twitch his fingers.

And then, a light came on. At first, it was just a large, pale square of light a few feet away from his face, but then a blurry picture of a person's face appeared on the strange screen. As it began to focus, Yuma felt suddenly nauseous. He knew those sharp, pretty red eyes. He knew that silver hair with the dark streak running down one side. It was his sister. It was Flower.

On the screen, she was smiling. She laughed and said something he couldn't quite understand. He felt tears running down his face as he watched his sister run around the grassy field, plucking the flowers she took a liking to. He missed her so much, her light, her radiance. But soon, her smile began to fade, and the footage became choppy. He heard a strange, hissing sort of whisper that rang in his ears, yet he couldn't understand what it was saying. Then he heard it; the ear piercing shriek as she fell from the clouds, that echoed in the depths. The smell of burning flesh filled his nostrils, and on the screen he could see her burst into flames as she fell to Earth, reduced to mere ashes before his eyes.

"It was your fault."

"She should be alive, not you."

"You're the reason she fell."

_"It's you're fault she's dead!" _The whispers chorused into his ears until they became screams of agonized fury. Yuma could feel a mixture of blood and tears falling from his eyes and dripping onto his clothes as he thrashed about in misery. And then, the floor fell out from beneath him and he began to fall, pain ripping through his body as blood poured from his mouth and ears, staining his shirt red. He screamed out and called for his sister, but his reaching hands grasped nothing but air.

"Would you shut up? I'm trying to sleep!"

And then, with Kaito's words, he found himself screaming in his bed and reaching for the ceiling. He flopped back down onto the bed, his breathing labored and heavy as Kaito rolled over across the room. He felt waves of panic coursing through his veins; he couldn't think straight, and everything seemed somehow blurry. Before he knew what was happening, he was sneaking around Kaito's bed and traipsing out the door. For some reason, he couldn't be bothered to care about anyone seeing him in that moment. All that mattered was being near _her._

When he found himself at Mayu's white door in the middle of night, he couldn't help an exasperated sigh. He shouldn't have come there, and he told himself that repeatedly as he leant against the door and slid down to the stone floor. He just needed to calm down; he wouldn't bother her.

But then, his silence was ruined by a pair of light footsteps and the creaking of the old door. It was only a moment before the door was opened from behind him, and he fell back onto the feet of the very girl he was both uneasy relieved to see for the second time. She stared down at him with her piercing eyes, a small frown painted across her lips.

"Yuma…?"

"… Just go back to bed." He said dejectedly as he sat up, his back to her. Mayu quietly walked around him and sat down beside him, all with a certain grace.

"This is what happened to me earlier, isn't it? Crying? So… you're sad…" She mumbled, staring down blankly at her lap. She wanted to make him feel better, but she didn't know how, especially after what had happened earlier.

"I'm fine, Mayu. Just a bad dream." He said rigidly, burying his face into his knees.

"About your sister?" She asked quietly, and Yuma looked over her.

"You're very perceptive." He responded with, and a silence settled over them. Yuma knew he should leave for a multitude of reasons, but her presence was slowly calming him down.

"… Yuma, whatever I did… I'm sorry…" She finally brought up, staring straight at him. Yuma flenched at her words. He knew he had been harsh with her earlier.

"It's not your fault, Mayu. Please don't worry about it. Things are just… complicated right now." Yuma said, looking passed her shoulder.

"How so?"

"Mayu…"

"…"

"You said you wanted to know about my sister, right?" He said after her silence. Mayu nodded.

"She was very old fashioned, and could be really stubborn, so sometimes we would get into stupid fights. She was really kind though, and liked humans a lot. She was the same class as you too; a warrior. Her name was Flower." He explained, a wistful look in his eyes. Mayu only listened quietly as she watched him, which he was very thankful for.

"She's gone now, though. And it's my fault… When I was young, I was very hot blooded. So, when Meiko began her take over of heaven, I secretly joined the rebel angel army behind Flower's back. However, someone close to Meiko found some of my letters to my superior. I had only signed them with my last name, though, so it wasn't clear if it was me or my sister who were the rebels. Flower knew the consequences, but still, she protected me by coming forward and taking the blame. They sent her to hell, but… like many, she didn't survive the fall." Yuma retold, and by the end of his story, his voice was cracking and fresh tears slid down his cheeks. For a while, Mayu remained silent, mulling over his words in her mind.

"I don't think that was your fault." She said flatly, turning her gaze to his face. Yuma looked up at her in shock.

"What?"

"Well… it was her decision, right? She wanted to protect you… maybe she supported your decision to fight." Mayu explained quietly. Yuma stared at her before suddenly embracing her into a tight hug, careful not to let their skin touch.

"Thank you, Mayu." He choked out between sobs. Mayu wrapped her arms around him in response, and for a little while they remained like that, the last two angels embracing one another. When they withdrew, Yuma looked at her sadly.

"Mayu, will you do something for me?" He asked, and she nodded silently.

"Please try not to think about me too much… It's very important that you think about Kaito, okay? I'm sorry…" He said as he stood.

"I don't understand…" She muttered confusedly, her brows furrowed. Yuma smiled at her sadly before quickly turning his back to her and disappearing down the hallway.


	7. Hyperventilation Dance

_(Author's Notes)_

_Time for chapter six! I hope you enjoy it, and please let me know if you do! I'd love to hear what you think of the story so far. :)_

* * *

Mayu was just getting ready to leave the music room and head to the library, when she noticed something out of place. Taped to the windowsill was a small, and very plain, white envelope. Curiously, she walked over and removed the envelope, opening it with a swift motion. Inside was a short note, and what appeared to be the sheet music for a hymn. The letter read:

_"Mayu, you should try singing this at some point. It might come in handy."_

Mayu immediately recognized Yuma's neat handwriting, but still she wondered what the song would do. Snapping back to the present, however, she recalled that she had very little time to get to the library, as she was expected at dinner in half an hour. She sighed and tucked the hymn and its accompanying letter into the pocket of her cardigan, before making her exit and heading for the library she knew so well.

Upon her arrival, she immediately went to the last row and located the second volume in the series that she had been enthralled with for the majority of the day. She never could have imagined that fictitious stories about humans, of all things, could be so positively riveting. It was then that she heard it.

The sound had become almost familiar to her by now; the sickening squelch as flesh was filleted and tossed aside. And then, soon after, the incessant tapping and scratching sound as the knife hit bone. Mayu looked over to the stained glass window, and sure enough, there was Len. He was perched rather lazily on the sill, his right hand digging into the flesh of his left. Blood poured from the wound and covered his lavish clothes in black goo, but he only wore a haphazard smile on his lips. He seemed remarkably tired, though, as per usual. The first few times she had seen this spectacle, it truthfully hadn't weighed on her very much… but with each time that she saw the blonde demon do this to himself, an uncomfortable pain built up in her chest. Something tugged at her, and for the first few weeks she simply couldn't put it together. But, now, as she watched him stab the knife deeper into his arm, she knew she could sit by idly no longer, whatever the reason.

The book slipped from her grasp, and fell to floor none too quietly. Len looked over in her direction, and she used this as her chance to march up to him as quickly as she could. She reared her small hand back, and slapped his own hand as hard as she could, causing him to lose his grip on the decorated knife, and it then clattered to the floor in a decidedly noisy fashion. Len stared at her in shock, and she stared right back at him, her expression lifeless.

"What do you you think you're doing, you stupid little bitch?" Len questioned angrily, his blue eyes narrowed with rage. Mayu avoided his gaze, unable to say anything in response. She honestly didn't know what was going on in her head.

Len reached up and grabbed a fistful of her hair. He yanked as hard as he could, until her eyebrows wrinkled with distress.

"You have to stop this." She said.

"And why the hell do you care all of a sudden?" He yelled in her ear. Mayu winced slightly, but turned her gaze on him.

"I'm not really sure but… I can no longer simply watch you do this. It's very sad to watch such things. You need to stop." She said, her face set gravely as she watched him. For a moment, something unreadable passed over his features, but he quickly scoffed at her and pulled the small girl closer.

"Oh really? But then what would I vent my frustrations on?" He asked slyly, though he punctuated his remark with a yawn.

"…"

"Ah! What about on _you_?" He growled, yanking on her again until the angel yelped a bit. But Mayu quickly regained her composure, and proceeded to stare straight through him. Suddenly, she lifted her arm and rolled up the sleeve of her cardigan, revealing the milky white skin beneath.

"If that will relieve your pain, then so be it." She said with finality, offering the demon her arm. Len looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"You would really just _let_ me do that to you? You do realized this blade was made to work on both demons _and_ angels. It's been passed through my family for generations. It will hurt like hell, and you won't heal for weeks. Just like a human."

"That matters naught," She said bluntly, shoving her arm closer to him, "I only wish to stop this cycle."

Len picked up the knife from the floor and passed it gently over her skin, forming a thin, red line as he watched her face carefully. He saw not a flinch, nor the slightest bit of hesitation, and it ticked him off when he saw that determination reflected in her eyes. He dug the knife in deeper, gouging and ripping until her dress was soaked in blood. But when she finally began to show the signs of pain on her face, all of that anger disappeared. He dropped the knife as though burnt, and pushed her aside before fleeing the room.

* * *

For the first time in his life, Kaito was early for something. Dinner, to be exact. This earliness, in fact, was caused by a ravenous hunger that had taken him over in the later half of the afternoon, and driven him to where he was now; pushing open the door to the dining hall with the hope that the usual corpse might, perhaps, come a bit early that evening. He sighed as his eyes fell over the empty room — empty, that is, until his eyes stumbled over the small girl seated in her usual place. A grin immediately came over his face; he thought maybe he could mess with her a bit before the others came. However, as he came closer, he realized with a start that Mayu seemed to be slumped over in her seat. Her eyes were shut tight as though in pain, and blood drenched the sleeve of her cardigan in crimson, and it dripped incessantly down onto the floor. He walked up to her and flicked her forehead, a rather annoyed look on his face. Her eyes fluttered open slowly.

"Ah, Kaito… I didn't hear you come in." She mumbled quietly, her eyes seeming very far away.

"Did Len do this to you?" He questioned tersely, a strange rage building in his chest. He knew that Len was the only other one who had one of those weapons in the mansion — he'd somehow managed to sneak it in under Mother Matilde's nose. But, that little brat dared to harm _his property?_

"… I'm fine."

"That's not what I asked. But besides that, you're clearly _not_ fine. You need to treat that wound, idiot!"

"Treat? What do you mean?" She questioned blearily, her confusion growing by the minute. Kaito sighed frustratedly, and in a moment, he had scooped her up into his arms bridal style.

"Stupid clueless girl…" He growled under his breath as he carried her out of the dining hall. Mayu protested weakly, but the blue haired demon simply ignored her. After a few minutes of traveling, as he headed to the opposite end of the mansion, Kaito could feel her body go limp and knew she had lost consciousness. Soon, they arrived at the small, inconspicuous room where he knew the medical supplies were kept, and he set her down on the bench in the corner. He sighed heavily as he rummaged through the cabinets, wondering why he felt so upset over this. He realized, with a start, that he was _worried_ about her. It was a feeling he had never experienced before, but he tried to quell the nervousness in his stomach by sternly telling himself that she played an important role in his plans, and that, and that alone, was why he was doing this.

The rigorous battle and medical training his father had put him through in his youth all came quite in handy as he treated and stitched up the wound. By the time he had finished, the demon was wrought with anger, directed towards his blonde rival. He laid Mayu down carefully on the bench and left the room, determined to seek Len out and make him pay for harming his property. _His angel._

* * *

Kaito threw open the door to Len's room, and as he sauntered inside, the hinges snapped and the door fell to the ground with a loud crash. Len was seated at his desk, where he sat with his back turned towards Kaito. He spun the chair around, and gave the angry demon a curious look.

"Kaito. And to what do I owe this truly _unwanted _intrusion?" Len asked flatly, crossing his arms. Kaito's eyes narrowed into thin slits. Anger coursed through his body like a disease, and he decided then and there that Len would not be walking out of this. Len would pay in blood for what he did to Mayu.

A strange wind seemed to pick up in the room, and Kaito's eyes glowed bright blue in the dimness. As he reached a hand into his mouth, his fingernails and teeth suddenly grew to sharp points. He seemed to grasp something in the back of his throat, and he pulled hard, black blood dripping from his lips. Slowly, he withdrew a sharp, and very old blade from his throat and grasped the hilt with his right hand, aiming the sword between Len's eyes. With a snap of his fingers, an ethereal blue flame lit up along the body of the sword.

Len knew as soon as he saw that cursed blade, that he was in trouble. In all their years of squabbling as kids, and later as adults, he had never seen the demon blade passed down through generations of the Shion family. Kaito had never fought him seriously; he didn't need to. To put it simply, Len was the brains and Kaito the brawn. Much to his father's consternation, Len had never been a fighter, he much preferred reading and research. Having been rather sickly as a kid, it only seemed natural to him. Despite his fear, Len let his smirk stretch.

"Now, what could possibly have you so very hot and bothered?" Len teased, pulling out his knife. He genuinely wasn't sure what had Kaito so worked up, but he had to do his best to protect himself. Kaito didn't respond, he found he couldn't. So, instead, he charged Len, blade raised. Len managed to dodge the first swing, but a thought descended upon him by the second.

"This couldn't possibly be about _Mayu_!" Len exclaimed with a giggle, as he attempted to dodge another attack. However, he was a little late, and the blade grazed his cheek, burning like fire. He wiped away the blood with a grin.

"Don't tell me the great demon warrior, Kaito Shion, has _feelings_ for that brat?"

"SHUT UP!" Kaito yelled, vehemently denying the accusation in his head, but somehow he had trouble forming the words as he slashed at Len, anger building to a climax. With hatred burning within him, Kaito worked his way through Len's defenses, and stabbed straight through the blonde's arm, pinning him to the wall. Kaito stooped with a smirk and picked up the knife that Len had dropped when he was stabbed. He twirled it once with menace, and then turned to face Len, who was desperately trying to pull the sword out of his arm with a glare.

"You think you're going to make me regret it? It was fun cutting her!" Len yelled through waves of pain as he struggled, even though his own feelings were very confused on the subject. He always had been more offensive with his words, rather than his fists. Kaito stared at him coldly, raising the knife up. Then he stabbed Len in the abdomen. Then again. And again. The blade entered Len's flesh so many times, that Kaito lost count. He stabbed him until blood pooled on the floor in a soupy mess, and Len's cries of agony were drowned out by the steady thrum of Kaito's heartbeat. Then, he turned, and covered in blood from head to toe, he walked calmly out of the room. He stumbled over the fallen door, but emerged into the hallway unscathed.

At the far end of the hall stood Mayu, concern written across her face. Kaito approached her, but she didn't look afraid in the slightest, only worried.

"What happened?" She asked quietly. He placed a strangely gentle hand on her shoulder, smearing her white dress with black blood.

"Everything's fine. You need to rest. Go back to your room."

* * *

"Mikuo, we're going to be late!" Luki called from across the room, with an eye roll and a tapping foot. He received no response at all from his friend, who was currently tossing items around his messy half of their room, frantically searching for his favorite tie clips. They were the special teal ones that he and his sister had always worn back in their human days.

"Found it!" Mikuo shouted with triumph as he held the little clips up to the light. Luki waited impatiently as Mikuo arranged his teal tie in the mirror. Silence filled the room, until Mikuo spoke as the pair made for the door.

"Y'know, I basically confessed to her the other day. You didn't think I would, did you?" Mikuo accused with a wide smirk. Luki paused with a raised brow.

"Mayu? And how did she take it? You're being very manipulative about this. I should have expected such." He commented with poised interest.

"Well… I think she rejected me. I probably came on too strong." He said thoughtfully, though his smirk remained.

"And I see you are undaunted."

"To the contrary — I'm enjoying this!" Mikup responded, opening the door with a smile. However, after crossing the threshold, the pair was met with a clattering sound coming from down the hall outside their room. Looking over, Mikuo saw, with shock, that Mayu lay in a bloody heap with Len crumpled over on top of her, as if she had been supporting him before they fell. He was immediately worried that Mayu might be injured, so he rushed to her side and rolled Len off of her. Mayu quickly got to her feet, clearly panicked as she went to Len's side.

"P-please, can you… treat him?" She asked with trepidation. A dark expression passed through Mikuo's eyes, and he and Luki shared a look.

"Not our problem. You should go, Mayu." Mikuo said calmly. Mayu grasped the edges of his shirt sleeve, clearly alarmed.

"Please… I didn't know who else to come to! I-it's my fault… please…" Mayu pleaded, tears welling up in her eyes. She didn't know what this toxic emotion inside her was, but she knew she had to help Len immediately. Mikuo hesitated, but looked to Luki. The pink haired demon sighed heavily and, feeling very annoyed, hoisted the blonde over his shoulder and disappeared into the depths of the bedroom. While Luki laid Len out (purposely on Mikuo's bed) and assessed the numerous wounds laced into Len's abdomen, Mikuo took Mayu by the hand and sat her down on the couch.

"Are you injured?" Mikuo asked sternly, his brows furrowed. Mayu shook her head, her eyes casted down onto her feet. Looking her over, Mikuo spotted the wound on her arm and his eyes narrowed. He grabbed her wrist and examined the injury, but Mayu quickly wrenched it away and hid the wound from his view.

"I am fine now."

"Did that brat do this to you?" Mikuo asked angrily as he stared at the small girl. Mayu only looked passed him, her face blank. Mikuo sighed frustratedly.

Soon, however, they were interrupted by Luki as he approached the pair, his hands now covered in Len's blood.

"As troublesome as the investigation will be for all of us, this kid isn't going to make it. He'll be dead in the next few hours." He said dispassionately. Terrified and racked with guilt, Mayu ran to Len's side.

"No… you have to treat him. That's what Kaito did for me. I-it works, just…" She persisted, her eyes glazed over as she looked to Luki. He avoided her gaze.

"I'm afraid it isn't so easy, Mayu… Not every wound can be treated." Mikuo explained, approaching her from behind and placing a gentle hand on her shoulder, but the resulting sting only made her feel worse. She knew that only a little while ago, back in her safe room in heaven, none of this would have bothered her… But now…

"It's all my fault," she began, tears spilling over, and as she spoke, her fingers traced the wound on her arm, "I never… n-never should have let him…" Understanding dawned on the two males — they knew Len well enough to piece together the events that transpired between the blonde demon and Mayu. Mikuo wanted dearly to let Len die and pay for what he did, but seeing that horrible look on Mayu's face created a knot in his stomach. There wasn't much he could do, though he had to try and ease her pain.

"Mayu… at this point, you're the only one who can save him."

"M-me?"

"A very long time ago, in the early days of our demonhood, Luki and I fought one of the last remaining pairs of true angels. One of them kept singing this song, and it seemed to heal her comrade. I don't know the lyrics or anything… but maybe the library would have something?" Mikuo said hesitantly, staring at the back of her head. He knew there was no such thing in Len's library, but he just wanted Mayu to get rid of that look. Slowly, Mayu's lips parted, and she jammed her hand into the pocket of her bloody cardigan. She withdrew the note Yuma had written her and turned to the Lyrics of the hymn. Looking over it, she thought maybe this could be the healing song!

As she began to sing, the melody seemed to come natural to her, and the lyrics fell from her lips like water. The religion spoken of in the gentle song was very alien to Mayu — so different from the strict teachings of her Mother. But, then, somehow she found it felt _good. _As she continued, a bright light erupted into the room, and right before their eyes, Len's flesh, organs, skin, and bone, began to knit themselves back together until, as the last note was sung, his skin was perfect and unmarred.

"So this is the power you've been hiding…" Luki muttered, and Mikuo hurried to her side as Mayu fell to the floor; unconscious.

* * *

When Len awoke, the room was quiet. He sat up slowly, a hand wrapped around his aching stomach. As he looked around the unfamiliar bedroom, the memories of Kaito's attack flooded back into his mind.

"How the hell am I alive?" He shouted, astonished by his own survival. He was quickly shushed, though, and his blue eyes focused on a pair of beings sitting across the room on a velvet settee. He immediately recognized Mikuo, who was currently glaring at him, and the small form of Mayu draped over his shoulder, her eyes shut tight and her breathing steady.

"You're alive because _this _girl, for some strange reason, thought you were worth saving. She knocked herself unconscious healing you, and she needs her rest now." Mikuo angrily whispered. Len's brows furrowed and his hand clenched onto the bedsheets. After everything he'd done to hurt her… that stupid little angel saved him?

"Now, if you wouldn't mind, get out of my bed!" Mikuo added tersely, his eyes narrowed. Len huffed, but crawled out of the bed and left the room, sure to slam the door behind him. Without thinking clearly, he headed for the library. He felt so… conflicted. He didn't ask her to do this! But what was this strange feeling in his bones? No one had ever done anything like this for him. He felt like most of his family wanted the failure son to die anyway — but this girl, who barely knew him, saved his life when no one else would? He sighed and sat down at his usual place at the sill, a yawn escaping his lips. He wasn't sure how long he sat there staring at the ceiling, but it must have a been a few hours. He tried to sleep, but found his thoughts were far to loud to allow for peaceful slumber.

Eventually, though, he was startled by the eerie creaking of the door as it swung open. Panic immediately filled his chest — he knew there could only be one other person that would come to the library, and he certainly didn't want to see her after everything they'd been through. He felt an intense since of shame in her presence. He met her steady footsteps with dread, and seeing her form appear at the end of the center aisle, he turned his face away. She looked relieved when she saw him.

"I'm glad that—"

"Don't look at me!" He stumbled over his words before burying his face into his knees, blonde hair spilling over his legs. Mayu immediately heeded his words and turned her back towards him, a small frown on her lips. She stole a few glances over her shoulder as she tried to figure out what to say, but once she heard his soft sobbing, she knew what to do. She sat down beside him on the sill, so that their backs touched. His heat singed her skin, but she didn't flinch. She waited for him to work up the nerve to speak. And eventually he did.

"Why… why did you save me?" He choked, wiping at his eyes as the emotions he'd kept hidden behind bravado for so long spilled over. She stayed quiet for a few moments, just thinking.

"You wanted him to kill you?" She questioned quietly, and she felt her hand reach for his. He didn't say anything, but his silence spoke far louder than anything he could have said. For a few minutes, neither of them said a word, each scared to say the wrong thing.

"At first, I thought I saved you because I just felt guilty. I never should have let you cut me… it led to all this. I know it was my fault, and for that I am sorry… But I realized after some thought that, the more time I spend here, the more I learn about you demons… You've all been through so much… I want to protect you." She explained her new realization. He clenched her hand tightly, not daring to believe her words, even though he knew they were true.

Then, she looked at him over her shoulder and caught his teary glance. She smiled brightly, her golden eyes glimmering in the purple light.

"I want to be your guardian angel!" She said, and though it felt foreign on her lips, she ignored the pain in her hand and smiled like she never had before. He could feel his lip trembling as she stood.

"Mikuo says I should rest. I hope you feel better." She said quietly, but before she could leave, he grabbed her sleeve.

"T-thank you!"


End file.
